


Black Valentine

by anniespinkhouse



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Age Difference, BDSM, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Blood Kink, Bondage, Collars, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Impact Play, Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Piercings, Restraints, Science Fiction, Slavery, Torture, all clothes are gender neutral, cross-species rape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-05-27 08:29:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15020672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anniespinkhouse/pseuds/anniespinkhouse
Summary: Jensen had a mission to accomplish aboard the most expensive and elite cruiser in the Orion Belt. Unfortunately, it was a one-time, couples-only vacation and his partner had just cried off.  The runaway twink he met at the space port looked like he had potential though.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be my Big Bang but it is a monster and I didn't feel I could do it credit in the time, so I'm about half way through it and posting will be semi regular. Tags may be added as we progress, please note the main warnings before reading because dub con and bad bdsm etiquette are always going to contain some uncomfortable moments. 
> 
> Thanks so much to @arliss for making this better and shaking pom poms. 
> 
> Disclaimer: This is fiction, pure fantasy folks. This Jensen and Jared play in my head, whisper in my ear and make me write their stories.

 

Gravity is a bitch, thought Jensen. However pretty the colors, there is nothing welcoming about a planet which looms so close so rapidly. His face ached with G-force. He flipped a red switch and pressed a blue button on a small plastic console. His drop pod continued to accelerate towards a green and gray planet, aiming for a band of white cloud. Behind Jensen something creaked and then pinged.

“I’m going to die, Kane, d’ya hear me. It’s your fault and you’re not even at the rendezvous to bury me,” he yelled at the voice in his head.

The voice in his head was calm but sarcastic, the smug, _safe_ , bastard. “You won’t die. You never die. C’mon, don’t tell me that you can’t deal with a lone pirate cruiser.”

“Asshat! I’m in an unarmed drop pod. You’re supposed to steer me clear of threats.”

“It was a pirate, Jensen! There was no signature emission. I could have turned on your navigation control but that would have said, ‘Hi’ to the handsome devils in the ‘War Horse’ battle cruisers which are searching the grid for you. I thought you’d prefer not to exchange pleasantries - purple lever, if you’re interested.”

“What?”

“Purple lever, on your left. It’s the emergency brake.”

Jensen grabbed the lever and pulled. He was thrown across the pod as it juddered and screeched its protest. “Ow! You could have said earlier.”

“You were yelling at me,” Jensen’s handler replied. “You’re locked in for landing in bay 361T. There’s a booking in the name of Inter-Cruise. Try not to draw attention.”

“Oh, you mean, like not exploding or crashing into the dock at lethal speeds.”

“Yeah, like that. Strap in. Catch you on the flip side.”

***

Jared stood on stark concrete at the center of the tourist docks of an insignificant green and gray planet and let the bustle pass him by. He had never imagined the sheer size of the port or the variety of ships that rested there. If this was a small port, on a small planet, in a small solar system, at the ass end of the Orion Belt – and his research had assured him that’s what his home planet was – then what did it speak of the vast wonder of space itself? 

Jared adjusted his rucksack. It seemed heavier after a day walking. His best friend Chad had promised to meet him here but he was nowhere to be seen. No doubt he had met some pretty girl, or found a new variety of soda in the shop, or was just being a dick, as usual.

“Get out of my way!” A round being, with stocky legs and pink ears that wiggled in annoyance pushed him out of the way to wheel a stack of bags onto a cruiser that Jared had stopped to admire.

There was a huge advert on the docking plaque which scrolled in bright neon letters through a list of the cruiser’s comforts and details of its destinations; planets with black lava beaches and pink umbrella bushes, moon spas, and diamond asteroid tours. His feet itched to follow the bags onto the vessel but the money in his back-pack barely covered the cost of a single breakfast in their restaurant.

“Are there any jobs aboard?” he asked hopefully.

Pink ears wiggled once more, “What sort of operation do you think we are? We only hire experienced staff. Now get out of here before I call the cops, little runaway.”

“I…I’m not little!” Jared protested but he turned on his heel and fled toward the cramped, less auspicious end of the dock. The term ‘runaway’ seemed a little harsh but he was sure that his parents had alerted police of his disappearance by now and maybe even let his fiancé, Tahmoh Penikett, know. He didn’t want to hurt any of them, but he was determined not to go back yet. He didn’t want much, just a hop out into the black, or maybe a chance to visit the moon observatory. There was simply so much he had never experienced.

He adjusted the straps of his backpack as he gazed around the short-hop area. The craft here were smaller. Shuttles, pods and unlicensed day tourers were all stacked on gigantic carousel docks which squeaked as they inched into place to accommodate the next landing or take off. Two-person travel bugs gleamed in the colors of a dozen different tour companies and boasted automated day trips to the likes of the Screaming Forest of Delta 5 and the Moon Observatory. For a moment his heart leapt at the opportunity but his hopes were dashed by the prices in the small print. He bit his lip and blinked back tears. There was no hope of him ever having that sort of cash and Tahmoh’s business interests were strictly planetary. Jared’s fiance eschewed any form of space travel.

Just then, a loud high-pitched whine made Jared look up. He watched in terrified fascination as something careered down from the sky, flaming red and surely too fast for the dock that was inching into place for it. As it neared, Jared could see that it was a single person pod with its landing gear bent sideways and it glowed with an excess of re-entry heat. He knew he should move but he was rooted to the spot. The pod hurtled into the dock at a crazy angle with a screech of metal on metal and a thud that swayed the carousel of ships and shook the ground under Jared’s feet. A mist of coolant and foam automatically fogged the pod and Jared wondered if he should call for help or if there was some sort of rescue kit. There was nothing around to indicate what he should do and he heard no emergency sirens. A few people looked around and tutted. One pilot returned to his ship at the base of the carousel and checked it for damage but nobody seemed to think the crash landing was an unusual event. Jared stayed and stared, curious about the person who had landed so disastrously.

The carousel finally parked the wrecked pod at ground level and the door opened. The occupant who disembarked was human in appearance; an ordinary, somewhat tall and slightly bow legged guy as far as Jared could tell. The man didn’t call for help, clutch his head or limp, so he seemed okay, though his pants and tee shirt were torn up and he was covered in what looked like engine grease and maybe blood. He gripped a metal case in one hand, with a chain looped around his wrist and he scowled as he muttered to himself.

Jared decided that the dude was entitled to act crazy, he had just avoided death by a whisker. “Um. Are you okay?” he inquired, “It kinda seemed rough. Your landing, I mean.” He never could get words out in any sort of order in front of strangers, especially handsome strangers, and as he came closer Jared could see that this stranger had an athletic body, a pert ass  and chiselled features covered with a slight peppering of stubble. Even coated in grime and frowning, he was gorgeous. Jared was going to have wet dreams about him for weeks.

The dude turned to look at him. Startling green eyes framed by thick lashes, tracked unsubtly down his body and back to his face, coolly assessing him. Jared knew what the guy saw; a kid with a clumsy body and plain face. Jared blushed and looked at the ground, sweat trickled down his spine.  G _od he was pathetic_.

The reply, when it came, was dismissive, “I’m fine, kid. Where’s the bar?”

 Jared jerked a thumb in the direction of the terminal building.

The stranger nodded his confirmation and carried on walking, yet his gaze lingered on Jared and for a moment it looked like he was going to speak to him again but he didn’t.

Jared let go of the breath he had been holding and he cursed. The stranger had probably guessed what he was doing here. He should move on, get lost in a crowd until Chad contacted him.

Thinking of the devil…his watch buzzed and Chad’s blue eyes and cheeky grin flooded the screen.

“Dude, dude, dude, I got us a ride on the sweetest cruiser.”

Jared heard a girl giggle and could see a pink tongue tracing up Chad’s cheek. “Chad, we don’t have nearly enough money.”

There were whispers and another giggle, “Free ride, J-bird and the companionship is not gonna be difficult, if you know what I mean. Chastity here has contacts.”

“Chad…,”

“You’re not getting cold feet are ya?”

“No. No! Of course not.” Jared protested.

“I sent my location. Hurry up.”

His watch beeped. Chad was in the bar. Jared really should have guessed it, but he couldn’t be angry because his friend had somehow scored a free ride. Jared’s pack felt suddenly weightless and his feet no longer ached. He hurried to meet him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few days RL is going to be busy, so I thought I'd post early rather than keep everyone hanging.

Jensen ditched his case in lost property. His latest acquisition was safely tucked into a scan-proof pouch and secreted in a private place. The first part of his mission had played out perfectly and he would be buoyed by it, if it weren’t for Chris Kane’s words in his head. “You’ll have to improvise, Jensen,” signaling the need to replace his partner for the next phase.

“Improvise?” he asked his handler as he searched a third locker in the pilots’ shower room.

“That was the order.”

“Why the hell couldn’t you make it?” Jensen sniped back at Chris. He lifted out a shirt and growled softly at the sight of prosthetic arms sewn into it.

“As much as I love to whup your pretty ass, nobody gets away from Trudeau in a solar storm.”

“And this solar storm lasted for four days. I call bullshit.”

“You can check the net report. Believe me, Alona was looking forward to stepping in as our handler. Who wouldn’t want to handle these asses?”

Jensen shook his head and laughed out loud, “Yeah, yeah! It's not like you can’t fake it the same way you fix everything else. I swear, if I find out that you’re chilling in a zero gravity love-hammock while I am risking my pretty ass, I will string you up and gift you to the Tsar.”

“Ah, that’s not nice.”

Another lock pinged open. The shirt in there would pass, but the pants were some sort of purple designer wear, way too noticeable. He slipped the shirt on and buttoned it then worked his lock-hacker again, keeping a keen ear for anyone approaching. “This isn’t the sort of resource that can be improvised, Chris. You know it. It’s why you were authorized for this particular mission. There must be somebody, any operative within range.” Jensen smoothed his hand over smart woolen pants. They would do just fine. The formal pilot’s cap beside them was a bonus to hide his face.

“Everyone is being utilized, Jensen. I have personally been through every possibility with the chief. We're out of options and out of time. The bomb will be on the Black Valentine and it cannot pass into the wrong hands. We can always improvise. It’s what we do.”

Jensen huffed. Sometimes he couldn’t believe his employers. “You want me to kidnap some innocent schmuk?”

“Innocent or not innocent. Who cares? It’s not like we have a choice; one life against dozens of planets. You do the math.”

Jensen finished dressing, spiked his short, dirty-blond hair and set the cap upon it with the peak hiding his eyes. “Fine. Suggestions?”

I set you down on Winchester, didn’t I? Its residents are mostly poor, generally pretty, and they’re open–minded but gullible. It makes it a popular hunting ground for pirates and brothel recruiters. If you can’t find a suitable mark here then you should probably retire.”

“Does anybody retire?” Jensen joked.

Chris Kane’s answering laugh was half-hearted. “That’s what they tell us.”

Jensen licked his lips, “Well I think you may be right about the pretty. First thing I saw coming out of that pod was, as you like to say, a sweet piece of ass. I’ll check out the bar to see what’s on offer.”

“Tell me again who has the raw deal, Jensen?” Kane’s chuckle was real this time, “Do you want me to stay online for a while?”

“Yeah, for now. A second perspective is always useful when you’ve pissed off the most powerful person in the solar system.”

With Jensen’s neural chip his handler could see what Jensen saw, from a safely guarded bunker lightyears across the galaxy. Chris Kane would focus in on background details with software that ran multiple analyses automatically. It had saved Jensen’s life more than once, even if it meant zero privacy from his handler.

***

The bar was full enough not to draw unwanted attention but it wasn’t the sort of place he would choose to drink. There were unsavory stains on the floor, bland music played in the background, and some sort of fake perfume was being pumped through the a/c which smelt a little like jasmine but overall reminded him of a cheap disinfectant.

The whiskey was local so Jensen ordered imported bourbon. Backwater brands were never worth drinking, whatever the difference in cost. He drank it neat – who knew what was in the water - while he propped an elbow on the bar and made small talk with the tentacled barkeep who could fulfil several orders at a time and still chat. It was a skill Jensen admired but it didn’t mean he dropped his guard, the gossip was inane and he barely noticed it as he expertly scanned the room for a mark.

There were the usual sort of customers who drifted into a port bar; workers at the end of their shift mingled with tourists and businessbeings who anxiously watched departures boards. Some hooker was looking to get lucky with a young blond kid who didn’t look old enough to drink, and there was an ancient drifter nursing a glass of local brew, wasting time, hoping for a lucky break.

So far, Jensen was drawing a blank but he was relieved to note that there were no couples who looked remotely like they would be boarding the Black Valentine with him. It would raise questions as to where his partner was. Of course, given that a cruise on the Black Valentine cost more than a small diamond asteroid, it was unsurprising that his fellow travelers would favor a luxury shuttle over scheduled port-hopping.

Jensen moved from the bar to sit in a booth with a view of the hooker and the horny kid she was calling Chad.

Kane interrupted his thoughts, “You have twenty two standard hours until departure. You don’t have time to be fussy. The blond boy looks promising. Chad Michael Murray; he’s young, obviously horny, has a good body and nice eyes. There are mediocre grades and a middle class family with no connections, as far as I can tell. Or you could make deal with the hooker, she’s not bad and comes with ready-made experience.”

“Hmm. Do you think she’s a recruiter on the prowl for fresh meat?” he wondered.

“Hang on, pulling data. Chastity Rourke, thirty-four, previous for soliciting. Oh, but more recently there’s a warrant out for kidnap and coercion off Mayflower.  She’s got connections to the Brief Encounter, an unregistered brothel cruiser, which is due to break orbit in seventy five minutes. Their last shuttle departs in nineteen minutes. It would be a perfect snatch,” his handler confirmed.

Jensen honed in on Chastity. She fluttered her eyelashes, tittered and ran her hand up the blond kid’s leg, promising him travel, board and much, much more. He thought she might as well be offering candy, but the kid, Chad, was cocky, full of himself and hanging onto every word with a shine of excitement in his eyes.

“Holy crap. He’s fallen for it. I’m pretty sure she’s got him on the hook, so why the delay?” .

“Yeah, gullible,” Chris reminded him, “Most of the locals have never been off the farm, let alone off Winchester. Got a plan yet?”

“Chastity is too risky- the Tsar has fingers in every racket in these parts. She could be known to him.”

“I meant the Chad kid.”

“No. He’s not right.”

“Twenty two hours,” reminded Chris, “He’s dog chow. You’d be doing him a favor.”

“No. Look at him, he’s not right. I don’t have time to work with his temperament.”

“Yeah, well, I feel ya, but I’m not so… _well, hello again pretty boy_ …”

Jensen swiveled his head to get a better look at the lone figure entering the bar. He watched as the tall kid who had greeted him with concern at the docks, weaved past him towards Chad and Chastity. He slid off his pack and grinned at them. Chastity gave a wide, encouraging smile with shiny pink lips and they both waved him over.

“That’s what they’re waiting for.” Chris and Jensen said at the same time.

Jensen rapidly re-assessed the tall kid. Young, but not quite jailbait, a little gangly but lithe – probably supple. Slightly hunched shoulders and careful gait – shy - and he had shiny brown hair with bangs that fell softly around his face framing a fine bone structure, a cute nose and startlingly pretty hazel eyes. Jensen already knew, from their previous encounter, that he was polite and caring, but not pushy. And, oh, when the kid smiled at Chad, all pearl teeth and dimples, the room seemed brighter and Jensen knew he was going to have him.

“Jensen. You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking are you?”

“Look at him. He’s perfect,” he gushed uncharacteristically.

“No, he is not,” sighed Chris. “Jared Padalecki, eighteen years old. Poor -as-mud farming family. He’s bright, got good grades, but dropped points because of poor attendance in harvest and planting seasons. 

“See, perfect,” interrupted Jensen. 

“Don’t interrupt the maestro! Jared is betrothed to Tahmoh Penikett, head honcho in these parts and he _is_ wealthy and well connected by this system’s standards. Oh, wow, it was a hefty sum of ‘intention’ that he paid Jared’s parents for his hand. Penikett definitely has the resources to fund a reward, or revenge, and you don’t need any more complications.”

“C’mon. It’s nothing you can’t fix. A little flip of the database and everyone will be looking for Joe Ordinary. In fact …” Jensen’s mind whirred as he sorted through various scenarios, slotting the framework of a plan into place, “We’re going to let them board the Brief Encounter and leave a trail of breadcrumbs to it.”

“You’re going to take the kid from the Brief Encounter? That seems unnecessarily complicated and time consuming.”  

 

“It’s not a battle cruiser! They’re not heavily armed, and they will be distracted at departure, securing their assets and ditching johns. If two innocent runaways are coerced aboard and one of them disappears between ports, then conclusions will be drawn, the search will be ended, and the operators will get a shake down. Two birds, one stone, Kane.”

Kane huffed, “Okay, don’t get killed. Do you want us to clean up loose ends at their next stop.”

“Not entirely, let Chad live, he’s my leverage.”

“And Jared? What happens to him when we’re through?” Chris wondered.

“He’s the sort who will never go home once he tastes the black.”

 

Jared moved to sit with Chad, and Chastity stood up. “No time,” she said to Jared, “You’ll get refreshments on board.”

 

Chris continued talking in Jensen’s head, “Nobody said that Padalecki was a runaway. He’s reportedly excited to be chosen by Tahmoh as a life and business partner.”

“Huh. No. That kid was in the tour docks. He was looking for a ride. I’m thinking that this planet, being a rich man’s trophy, it’s all too small, too ordinary for him.”

“And you decided that by staring at his ass for two minutes?” Kane said.

Of course Chris would have noticed that. “It’s aesthetically pleasing,” he countered.

Jensen continued watching the small group. He noted a flicker of doubt on Jared’s face but Chad was talking excitedly, telling his friend that he had checked the girl’s credentials. Chastity described a luxurious cruiser. No doubt all of its extravagances existed, thought Jensen, but they were for paying clients. Chad and Jared were not destined to be that.

Jared lifted his backpack again, but worry was obvious in his frown. “Chad. I’m not sure. I’ve been told that the big tours only use experienced staff.”

 

“Here we go, looks like we’re back to square one. Your boy is too bright to fall for it.” Kane sounded far too smug.

“Wait,” said Jensen. They continued to observe the small group.

 

Chastity gave a reassuring smile, “Yeah, sure. The fat-cat operators justify their prices that way, but independents, like us, can give better prices, and crew who are invested in the trip work more efficiently. If you’re not interested…” she picked up speed, “I really have to get back. Chad assured me I wasn’t wasting my time but…” she sighed, “We’ll have to muddle through short-staffed. We can pick somebody up at the moon observatory. There are always hikers looking for a ride.”

Chad grabbed Jared’s arm and tugged him along. “I don’t believe you, J-Bird. I assured her you were serious about getting off this stupid hunk of dirt. You said you wanted to travel. The _moon observatory_ , c’mon, you have always geeked out over it. I can’t believe you’d wuss out when we are so close, man.”

Jared bit his lip and seemingly made a decision. He picked up his pace to walk beside Chad, and they both followed Chastity out of the bar.

 

“Aha, see that? He defers to others. Told you he was _it_.” Jensen crowed. With his decision made he slipped from his booth to follow them. “Kane, charge one of my blank identities with universal credit, two fifty should cover it. Get me a private hire to the Brief Encounter and find me a fancy, armed ship for the getaway. Something classy enough to dock with the Black Valentine. We’re not returning to Winchester.”

“You’re hooking straight up with the Black Valentine?”

“We’ve got a short window. Let’s not give the kid a chance to run.”

“Seriously?” grumbled Chris, “You can’t keep things simple for me?”

“Improvise!” Jensen replied pointedly.

“Hmph. On it.”


	3. Chapter 3

This was bad, thought Jared. Worse than the time he and Chad blew up the chem lab while trying to make fireworks, worse than finding out what G-forces can do to your body (especially your stomach contents) as you break atmosphere, and possibly worse than a lifetime chained to a hick planet as fourth spouse to Tahmoh-boring-Penikett. His bare toes scraped along the cold floor of a drab cell as he was pushed inside, because of course they took his shoes when he refused to sign their stupid-ass contract. At least there was a room here; for a moment he had thought he was toast. ‘Security guards’ the size of rhinos, with raptor teeth and horn noses had ensured that their little trip to a quiet space to ‘think about his options’ had led out beside a waste disposal airlock where Jared had panicked, struggled, been back handed with a slap which crumpled him to the floor, and then been dragged to this cold, functional cell with bars and a locked door. He sat on its smooth metal bench, sighed and picked up the plastic style flexi-contract which had been thrown in with him. Who even used flexi text any more when everyone had retinal-signature holograph?

Food, travel, laundry, a place to sleep - the costs were as vast as the universe he wanted to explore. He and Chad had been over their heads in debt from the moment they stepped onto the shuttle to the Brief Encounter. There was even a medical charge for the sick bag he’d used on the short transfer. The management had made them a compelling offer - work off their  debt or be discarded as excess baggage. Jared was good at math, best in his class, but he didn’t need to be a genius to see that there was no way to ever pay their debt as the cost of their board kept on accumulating. He was an idiot, Chad was an idiot. They had been warned about these cruisers, by teachers and parents alike. Still they had followed Chastity into the belly of the beast. Sure, he had looked forward to losing his virginity before he was married but he had pictured a romantic tryst against the backdrop of a billion stars, not whoring his ass to whoever paid a fee.

His feet were icy cold and his hands shook so hard that the text blurred. Chad had signed his contract with false bravado, “C’mon travel and sexy times. The ladies are going to love me,” he’d boasted, but his face had drained of all color and there had been no laughter in his eyes.

Jared chewed his lip. His life was over if he signed the contract.

In the corridor beyond his cell somebody screamed and begged. Through bars he could see the hazy reflection of a red warning light, blinking, _blinking_ and a siren wailed over the shuch-tchunk of an airlock opening and the tchunk-shch of it closing again. The screaming stopped abruptly and the siren fell silent. Jared tried to blink back tears but his eyes filled and spilled wet down his cheeks. His life was over if he didn’t sign. He stood on jelly-legs and walked to the bars. “I need a stylus,” he yelled, since the corridor seemed empty. 

Somebody replied anyway, “Stand back!” 

Of course they wouldn’t want him trying to rush the guards, he thought. He wouldn’t achieve much but he imagined some had tried before him. He stepped back while he was musing on the idea and was not in the slightest bit prepared for the sight of the door blowing out of its tracks and landing silently on the floor beside him. His ears popped and he shook his head, he snapped his fingers and heard nothing. He was suddenly, mysteriously, deaf, which is why he was even less prepared for a person, wearing some sort of pilot’s cap, to dash in, grab him by his elbow and drag him out towards the airlock.

Jared panicked. “No, no, no,” I asked for a stylus, “I’m going to sign your stupid contract,” his voice sounded strange, he couldn’t tell if he was shouting. 

The reply was muffled, but it seemed to be, “Come on!” and his elbow was tugged harder. They were still heading for the airlock, so he repeated himself, “I’m going to sign your contract,” he definitely shouted this time. 

The airlock loomed close, Jared panicked a little more, twisted out of the man’s grip and aimed a punch at the nose that was just visible under the pilot’s cap. HIs fist never reached its destination. He didn’t have time to register the uppercut to his own chin but the bloom of pain was very real and then, well, nothing. 

***

Jared’s chin hurt and his head ached when he tried to open his eyes. He was sure he was paralyzed; he couldn’t move his arms or legs however much he tried, yet he wiggled his fingers. and they obeyed - strange. He groaned, oh god, he felt sick, he needed to move now. 

His memory returned in fragments. Was this what dying in space felt like? He always imagined it would be colder. Maybe he was already dead, in which case death sucked. 

Fingers stroked his hair while an arm snaked around his back to push him up into a sitting position and then something cold and wet was pressed against his lips. Maybe he was alive. He recalled his predicament on the Brief Encounter and _no, no, no, he didn’t want his first time like this_. 

“C’mon buddy, you need some water. Don’t want you to get dehydrated.” 

Oh. It was a bottle. He tried a sip. It was clean and cool and undoubtedly water. He knew it could be drugged but he was suddenly very thirsty and it tasted good. 

“There you go! Better?” 

He was for a moment. Then he wasn’t - his stomach rebelled and he managed to open his eyes just as his vomit projected across a luxurious silky blanket and onto the…oh... onto the crashpod-dude from the port terminal. Jared closed his eyes again. Dying was weird. 

“Ugh! Really? Hang on a minute.” The strong arm supporting him was removed and Jared swayed as he tried to keep his head up. He tried to put his hands down to steady himself but they wouldn’t move. Cold metal bit into his wrists and he was beginning to make sense of it all - he was tied up, cuffed to be precise and his chin hurt because somebody, possibly crashpod-dude had punched him. This must be the sort of kinky shit the Brief Encounter would force him to participate in. He didn’t think he could take it. It was just his luck that the hot guy was actually a nasty pervert and that was the end of any sexy daydreams he might have had. 

Crashpod-dude pulled the silky cover from him, balled it up and stuffed it into some sort of trash compactor or laundry chute. He returned with a damp cloth, “Here,” he said, as he gently wiped Jared’s face. It was humiliating. 

Jared roused himself, “No! I don’t want to. No! I’d rather die. Throw me out of the airlock.” 

Crashpod-dude reached out and cradled Jared’s sore chin with his hand, tilted it so that Jared was looking directly at him. His face was clean, his eyes just as green as Jared remembered and he had a smattering of freckles on his face. He looked slightly sad and sincere. “I don’t want to have sex with you, Jared. My name is Jensen and this is a rescue.” 

Jared sank back on to surprisingly soft pillows. Of course Tahmoh wouldn’t want the embarrassment of his fiance running away with a brothel but how did he know? Had he tailed Jared? That seemed a little creepy, and then there was the matter of… his cuffed arms ached, “Hey, you punched me. I’m tied up. I bet Mr. Penikett didn’t authorize that!” 

“Mr. Penikett didn’t authorize anything. I punched you because you were drawing attention and I restrained you so you couldn’t hurt yourself or do anything that would compromise our safety.” 

Jared took a moment to gather his thoughts, then gathered his bitchiest look, “You blew up a door! How was that not going to draw attention?” 

“Did you hear the door blowing off?” Jensen asked him. 

Actually, he hadn’t, “No,” he answered, “But I couldn’t hear anything. How can I hear again now?” 

“Precisely,” Jensen nodded, “There are gadgets to silence an explosion, and other ways to silence a Jared.” 

“So, will you untie me now? Thank you, by the way? How did you know, only I thought I’d seen you before and… oh, but what about Chad?” 

“Ssh! No, and for god’s sake shut up.” The pad of a finger shushed Jared’s lip. 

He took a breath, he had been babbling, “Sorry,” he whispered. 

Jensen shushed him again, and waved his hand in a ‘stay’ motion. He got up, graceful and quiet and pressed some sort of remote control, “Going black,” he whispered, like it made some sort of sense. The lights went dim and the drive engine stuttered and stalled into silence. 

Jared opened his mouth to speak, he had so many questions. Jensen launched himself over Jared and stuffed a rag in his mouth. Jared tried to struggle and Jensen whispered again, his mouth breathing hotly against his ear, “Do you want to be caught aboard a stolen ship? The owner won’t be asking how you got here.” 

Jared’s eyes widened. No, he didn’t. He knew what happened to pirates and thieves in space and he rather liked his two hands and two feet, thank you. Of course there were more questions now racing though his head, and his heart was beating fit to burst his chest, but he could be quiet; he could be a mouse in the circumstances, whatever they were. He winced and just avoided a squeak when he felt a pinprick in his thigh.

 ***

“You can’t just drug him like that,” the voice in Jensen’s head nagged. 

“Watch me! He’s a liability.” 

“You need to build trust, Jensen, being a Master is a privilege. It takes negotiation and understanding. You will have to listen to him, talk things out. You were the one who chose him for his temperament.” 

“Or I can throw him in a collar and chains and he’ll do what he’s told.” 

“You know how I feel about that and I am in your head. I can make you regret it.” 

“I hate you!” 

“So, you’ll try it my way first,” Kane sounded relieved. 

“I’ll try it your way and when the Tsar has all of us under his iron fist I shall remind you that I told you so.” 

“Just try. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll be with you all the way.” 

Jensen scowled. 

“I can feel your bitch face,” reminded Kane, “All clear by the way. And you are three hundred and twenty six standard minutes from rendezvous with the Black Valentine. I’ll join you then. Right now, I am going for a nap. Good luck.” 

“Later!”

Jensen looked down at Jared who snored gently on a giant fluffy bed. He was curled in a fetal position and his hair flopped around his face. He looked like an exhausted puppy. Jensen smoothed his hair behind his ear, it was silky soft and he wondered why that detail seemed important to him. He removed Jared's restraints and carefully placed him in the recovery position. A fresh, soft cover completed the task. The kid should at least be comfortable when he woke.  He locked the room on his way out. He had an unfamiliar ship to pilot.

***


	4. Chapter 4

Jared pulled the bed covers around him like a shield from Jensen’s words. He had been quiet altogether too long and Jensen might have to shake a response from him. Just as he was thinking about an alternative, Jared opened his mouth.

Jensen leaned forward, ready to catch his reply.

Jared shut his mouth, shook his head, then opened it again, “You want me to go on a cruise with you? A very kinky cruise, pretending to be your - what did you call it - submissive new husband?"

“Yes. It is not a cruise that I can attend alone and my partner is unable to be here. A suite aboard The Black Valentine is expensive - small mining planet expensive - and unique. Many apply for a place but few are invited. I may not get another chance.”

“Are you and your partner even together? Or is this some sort of sick game? You keep saying ‘I’. It seems a bit careless, losing your newlywed. I don’t think even Tahmoh would do that.” Jared’s eyes looked down, his hands tangled in the covers that were still wrapped around him.

He had a smart mouth, Jensen thought it might be a problem. That there seemed to be something very wrong with Jared’s betrothal could perhaps be turned to his advantage.

“No, we’re not _together_ together. We're business partners, you won't be anybody's bit on the side. The thing about the Black Valentine is that powerful folks do exclusive business on board. It is business that we want a part of, but I must fit the profile, I need a slave or a submissive. The advantage for you, is that the position is temporary. The Brief Encounter is a life-sentence, but this vacation, with me, will be over in fourteen standard days and we can take guided tours of some of the most incredible destinations in the Orion Belt. It is a one-time opportunity; a young hitch hiker's dream.”

“But my family…,”

“Your family already believe you to be lost. It is a short time.They would be happy to know you are alive.”

"Can I contact them, at least let them know?"

"It's too dangerous. You can do that when the cruise is over."

Jared dropped a corner of the cover he had been holding around him. "Dangerous for you," he said.

Jensen nodded agreement.

He narrowed his eyes at Jensen, “If the cruise is so full of powerful people, then faking this submissive thing sounds like the sort of deception they might want to kick us out of the airlock for. You stole this ship, it all seems dangerous. What happens if I say no?”

Jensen shrugged. He was a heartless bastard at times but he honestly didn’t want to hurt the kid. He was simply out of options. “I’m not looking to take a trip out of an airlock with anybody. I intend to have fun. You can say you won’t co-operate but I can’t accept it. I would take you on board as a bought slave and I’ll modify your voice so you can’t alert anybody. Then you will spend the cruise locked up without an option in what activities we join or what tours we take. Chad will be lost to the Brief Encounter and I doubt you’ll see each other again.”

 Jared regathered the cover about him. His hand shook and his eyes were moist but he didn’t cry. Jensen had to give it to him. He was strong. 

“You know what?” wondered Jared, as if no ultimatum had been issued. “Does this ship have some sort of window? Are there stars? Can I see space? I wanted to...” He slipped his legs off the bed and his socked feet dangled over the edge of it, too high to quite reach the floor. This was not a ship designed for humans. 

“You know what? Yeah, there is. You want to do that? We can do that. I can angle us so we look back on the Wolfhead nebula and see the rings around Seraph 7. Would you like that?” 

Jared jumped the rest of the way to the floor, with his covers still wrapped about him. “Now,” he demanded. 

“Now,” agreed Jensen. “This way.” 

*** 

Jared was quiet on the way to the observation bay, his feet padded softly on under-heated corridors and the bed cover swished behind him like a bridal train. His gaze wandered in awe to all the little details of the ship, taking in crystal control buttons, soft lighting panels and a sweep of colorful aquariums full of plants and busy animal life. Golden fabric lined thick padded walls and giant furniture.   

“This ship isn’t normal, Jared. Somebody obscenely wealthy owns it. Most are much more basic and rather oily, but our cruise will be on something more spectacular than this; the Black Valentine. It’s said to be breathtaking - one of the dark wonders of this universe - an incredible design,” Jensen explained.  

Jared merely nodded and continued on to the viewing panel. Maybe he was in shock. 

Jensen didn’t think much of the view. When you’ve seen one nebula, you’ve pretty much seen them all, and the rings around Seraph 7 were pretty but lots of planets have rings. Still, Jared’s reaction was a sight to behold. His hands reached tentatively to the screen and he splayed his fingers onto it and traced stars, dot to dot. His eyes sparkled and he smiled, real and radiant, at the view. The covers fell from his shoulders and crumpled on the floor around him. He was a hopeful runaway in jeans and a tee shirt again, as if Jensen wasn’t holding him hostage at all. 

“Is it really what’s out there?” Jared asked eventually. 

“Yeah, the panel isn’t glass, glass doesn’t do well in a vacuum, and this shows light on all of the spectrum, but it’s clear, with the durability of diamonds, so we’re safe.” 

“I didn’t expect it to be so vivid. Did you know that the purple dots are planets forming? That’s what our astronomy teacher said anyway. We are looking at brand new planets  - imagine the possibilities, it’s amazing,” he gushed, looking at Jensen for validation. 

Jensen couldn’t help a chuckle, it did seem exciting from Jared's perspective. “It’s pretty amazing,” he agreed. 

“ I've wanted to see it all my life. I didn’t think it would cost so much.”  His excitement changed abruptly to sadness,

“Money?” asked Jensen. 

“Everything. I thought I would go home.”  

Jensen walked over to stand beside him. He patted Jared’s shoulder, “I am not going to keep you, Jared. After the cruise, I’ll take you home, and Chad will be with you.” He didn’t know if he could keep the promise, but he would try. 

Strands of hair tumbled around Jared’s face as he shook his head, “You don’t have to lie. I heard the screams on the Brief Encounter, I know you killed people. You know my name but I never told it. What sort of criminal are you? A hitman?” 

Ah. Jensen wiped the sweat from the palm of his hand onto his pants. “I’m a guy with a deal to broker. Sometimes that involves acquiring other items or removing obstacles. I needed to acquire a submissive, and the guards were an obstacle. They would have killed you without blinking; they didn’t deserve to live, and you don’t deserve to die. I’m giving you a chance but I’m not saying it will be easy or even comfortable. As for your name, your friend called you Jared in the port bar.” 

Jared flinched and stepped back from him. “I thought you would deny it. You watched us leave with that woman? Did you know what would happen to us?” 

Jensen shook his head, “There's no point in denying it. You know what you’ve seen and heard. You’re perceptive, in fact I wonder why you got on The Brief Encounter at all. You did that, Jared. Was a stranger supposed to be responsible for your actions? I could have left you there, made an easier choice of partner, but I thought we could help each other.” 

“Sometimes, I get swept along with Chad’s plans. In school, one time, we burned down the chem lab. trying to make fireworks. That was Chad’s idea too,” Jared shrugged.

Jensen laughed, it seemed too ridiculous and he could imagine them looking charred and regretful. 

The watch on Jensen’s wrist began to vibrate and a yellow crystal blinked above the obs panel. In his head he heard the ping of Kane coming back online. "Forty minutes until docking, so I hope you’ve got your shit together, Jensen." 

Jensen cleared his throat, looked out into the black at what Jared was seeing, “We’re getting close. I need you to make a decision, Jared.” 

Long fingers returned to tracing distant stars on the panel, “Will there be panels to look out of, like this? Will you take me with you to see the sights?” he asked. 

“Yes. Of course.There's so much, even a planet with beaches that shine like rainbows and fish which sing as they fly. On board there are huge lounges with domes to look through as we eat, and our bedroom has a porthole.” 

Jared’s reply when it came was distant and a little dreamy, “If I say no then you’ll lock me up and I won’t ever see it. So, yes. I’ll do it, and then you’ll take us home.” 

Jensen let go of the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. He put his hand over Jared’s busy fingers, traced with them. “Thank you. We’ll see the stars together and then I will take you and Chad home. I know it’s not okay but I’ll try and make it bearable. Deal?” 

Jared straightened and looked him in the eye, "Deal," he said, and proffered his hand.

Jensen looked at his slender long fingers, he could think of a few good uses for those.

"You shake his hand. It's an old human sign of respect or intention, to seal a deal," Kane informed him.

"What?"

Chris Kane gave his most obvious 'you're an idiot' sigh before talking Jensen through it, "Look him in the eyes. Stretch out your right arm, take his hand in a firm friendly grip and shake it a few inches up, then down and up again, then let go with a nod."

He shook Jared's hand. “Deal,” he echoed.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Black Valentine.  
> And hey - I played at art and made a header so y'all had some visuals.

 

Jensen left Jared alone in the obs bay with a copy of the Black Valentine’s passenger guide.  A collection of holographic recordings played, one after the other with a computer-generated voice that rushed through information about tour highlights, dining rooms, special diets, hygiene and events. All the data was aimed at the Master of the relationship, whose slaves and submissives were an extension of them and entirely their responsibility. Jensen's honeymoon master suite included secure chain rings, shackles and cages. Designer corrective equipment was available for Master to take home at a reasonable additional cost and, Jared particularly shuddered at this part- bespoke dungeons could be hired with an assortment of torture devices and medical equipment as standard.  He didn’t complete all of it because their ship banked to starboard and, in the black, a floodlit dock the size of an asteroid came into view. Service craft and pods bustled around it and at the center of all the attention was the hugest, sleekest space craft he could ever imagine. The smooth black and streamlined cruiser seemed to absorb the light so completely that it might not be there at all if it weren’t for hazy red light which bathed it’s outline and faint golden dots which he thought might be the obs domes described in the brochure. There was nothing in any news program or documentary he’d seen that had ever come close to the aesthetic of it. He stared as a bullet shaped tug-craft in shiny silver slipped alongside their ship and locked on. Their engine drive ceased and a magnetic stream effortlessly pulled them towards the gaping maw of a deck. A few miles away, parallel to them, another bullet accompanied another ship on it’s course into the belly of the Black Valentine. 

Blinking lights guided them through a dark tunnel which opened out into a brightly lit parking lot with space ships of all sizes and designations neatly lined up. A swoosh of coolant fogged their ship and a gated runway extended up to their main airlock. Jared roused himself and pressed the crystal button to exit the obs room. Of course it was locked. He had made a bargain with Jensen but he couldn’t expect him to trust his prisoner. He shouldn’t. Until the secure runway had slipped into place he had still wondered if there was a way to escape, or somebody to hear his story, but there were security gates and armed crew everywhere he looked. It seemed that The Black Valentine catered to powerful people and they prided themselves on keeping their slaves safe, whether their slaves were willing or not. 

Jared picked up the clothes that Jensen had given him to wear. He bit his lip, let a shudder work down his spine and changed into them. It could be worse, he supposed, he could be naked like many of the slaves in the holographs. There were no undergarments, he laced up snugly fitting hot pants at the front, careful not to catch anything delicate, and slipped a tight black vee-necked tee over his chest which rode up to show a scandalous sliver of his stomach. His mother would cry if she could see him right now. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, he had to concentrate on something else or break down entirely. He looked down at his bare toes, he hated them, they were too long, like an ape, and the nails were yellow and torn from walking so far in his ill-fitting sneakers. It reminded him that he hadn’t showered since leaving home almost three days ago. His nose wrinkled, he must smell terrible.  

“Jared, it’s almost time. Air pressure will be equalized in a few minutes.”  

He hadn’t noticed the door open, but there was Jensen, standing tall and impressive in some sort of dress pants, shined boots and a crisp white shirt  casually unbuttoned at the neck. He extended his hands to Jared, proffering jewelry in each. 

“You have to wear my tag at all times,” he said, and now Jared could see that he held a selection of leather collars in his left hand and a chain collar in his right hand. “You can choose which you would prefer but you have to wear one.” 

Jared knew, it had been mentioned in the guide - slaves and subs must wear a collar with a  tag identifying their Master and they were not permitted to roam outside their suite without their Master or a nominated proxy. His stomach churned but he took a moment to consider the choices. The chain looked more like jewelry but the collars looked more comfortable. It would be obvious what he was to everybody, whichever he wore. He chose a dark pink collar with a mother of pearl inset because the inside was lightly padded and fur-soft. 

Jensen’s fingers were warm against his skin as he slipped it around his neck. He brushed Jared’s hair to one side as he wrestled with the small lock. It clicked shut around him and it felt like he was being choked, he wheezed and put out a hand to steady himself. Jensen caught his elbow and supported him, “It’s not too tight. You can breathe, Jared. Just breathe. As long as you’re with me and you’re wearing this, nobody can touch you. You’re mine, y’hear me? Look…” Jensen slid two fingers easily under the collar so the pads of them smoothed the skin of his neck. Jared felt it squeeze and then the give of it as he slid them out again. 

“See, there is room to breathe,” Jensen reassured him. 

“I know, I’m okay. I’m okay,” he repeated. He had to believe it. 

“It suits you, Jared. Look up. You look very pleasing.”

“I smell,” Jared couldn’t help commenting as his gaze left his toes. “I didn’t wash today.” 

“Don’t fret, we can fix it. I’m told the suites on board have awesome bathrooms. Until then, you are mine. You walk by my side, you look straight ahead and you don’t talk to anyone. It is what is expected. Tour crew are obliged to deal with me alone. They will assume it is my choice that you remain unwashed. Your job is to be obedient by my side and I am sure you will achieve it admirably.” 

There was activity outside their ship and somebody in uniform and cap unlocked the gateway ramp and started up it, to greet them. 

“We’re ready,” said Jensen but the comment didn’t seem to be directed at him. He held out his hand and Jared took his cue and held on to it as he was led to the freshly pressurized main airlock. 

He panicked. This wasn’t how the holograph had been.“Shouldn’t I be carrying our bags?” he asked. 

Jensen glanced at the person coming up the ramp and back at Jared. He leaned close and kissed him softly on his cheek, just at the edge of his lip. “Sweetheart, we just got married. I love you. Of course not.” 

It was a surprisingly tender act. Jared touched a finger to his face, where Jensen’s lips had been. In three months of being betrothed, Tahmoh had never kissed him like that.

 ***

The person who greeted Jensen turned out to be an A.I. but in all ways they appeared a perfect humanoid in a slightly mauve hue with neat shoulder length pink hair, and purple eyes. They claimed that research had shown such a combination to be pleasing to their customer demographic. They turned on their heel without acknowledging Jared and bade Jensen to follow them. Jared was frozen to the spot, staring at the A.I. so Jensen nudged him, hissing in his ear, “Get it together, Jared, you can’t be rude. A step behind, don’t stare, do not react, do not speak, WHATEVER is said, seen or done, do you understand me?”

Jared’s eyes went wide and he looked terrified.

Kane’s voice cut into Jensen’s thoughts, “Jensen, you can’t say not to speak and then ask him a question. You have to give him permission to answer you.”

Fair point, he realized.

“Jared, you can answer me if I ask a direct question. You’re not long out of school, right? Pretend I’m your strictest schoolteacher.”

Jared breathed out, “Yessir.”

Jensen turned to nod his approval, “There. You’re perfect. I’ll keep holding your hand so you know where to be.”

Jared grasped his hand tightly in his own sweat sticky fingers. Jensen put the sheen of perspiration on him down to nerves but if the kid continued to perspire like this, Jensen would have to carry a towel everywhere with them.

As they neared the check-in lounge, the corridor was lined with subtly armed A.I.s. There was a series of scanners overhead, tracking significant body features, temperature anomalies and stress, and he noted at least two automatic gates that could no doubt shut down in seconds to trap them if preliminary scans detected anything suspicious. Jensen heard a series of beeps, he looked around before realizing they were in his head, “Kane?”

“Okay, we’ve got some smart tech. They're sweeping for neural chips. I’m going offline awhile. Don’t panic, there’s fixes. Catch you later.” The link went silent.

Crap! Jensen thought, even as he continued on, heartbeat steady, like nothing had happened. This is what he was paid for and he would cope. He always did.

The A.I. left them in the reception lounge to book in, “Security reasons,” they said, and Jensen cooled his heels and tried not to think the worst. He shot a look at Jared who stood wide eyed and pale, looking about in obvious terror, his chest heaving with worryingly fast breaths.

"Hey!" Jensen said, "It's just a vacation, right? I have our papers, don't concern yourself with how. We'll be through and in our cabin in no time."  He put a hand on the back of Jared's neck, above the collar and stroked gently through silky hair. "I'm here. Breathe." Jared flinched, took a gasping breath and blew it out slowly. He was still tense under Jensen's fingertips but he leaned into the touch and and his breath steadied.  


	6. Chapter 6

Jensen inspected their surroundings with a professional eye and a tourist’s manner. Despite knowing what to expect, the details of the ship still surprised him. Jensen had experienced decadence, but never on the scale of The Black Valentine. The floor adjusted to each being’s weight, so it seemed you were almost floating with each step you took. The climate adjusted perfectly around him, like an air-glove, and the lighting spectrum was specific to each species to be gentle on the senses. Every item on board was designed with a flourish, in precious metals, finest cloth and gemstones. The Black Valentine logo was etched into surfaces and furniture alike, and finished in rose palladium and dusk ruby. In the reception lounge, chairs of all shapes and sizes sported heavy fixing rings and soft cushions or blankets on the floor by their side. Complementary snacks and drinks were offered by sleek robots at every turn. He let go of Jared’s hand as a passing bot hovered by with drinks and he took one, had a sip of pink bubbles in green fog. It had a deceptively bitter and energizing taste. Yeah, he needed that. 

He took a glance at Jared and resolved to correct him for the slouch he had adopted. He wished Kane was online because his handler understood the protocol so much better- the right words were important. Jared’s eyes widened as he tracked a mammoth of a person with wild black hair, and curly tusks crossing the room with twin human red-heads on a double-ended leash. The tusked person snorted some sort of command and planted his substantial ass into one of the thickly cushioned lounge chairs. The twins sank to their knees beside him, on the cushions provided, and proceeded to remove his boots and caress his thick and wrinkle-skinned feet with their fingers, hair and tongues. Jared made some sort of sound in his throat, half way between a whimper and a protest and rapidly looked away. He scanned the rest of the room where subs and slaves in an array of costumes or even nude, waited on their Masters, kneeling obediently by their sides.

Jensen was going to remind him to be silent when Jared caught his own mistake, swallowed hard and sank to his knees, now silent at his side as if it were a natural dynamic. Jensen watched him as he studied others in the room and adjusted his pose until he was kneeling elegantly. His brow still glistened with sweat and his hands made white knuckled fists at his sides, but he was making an effort to blend in. The kid was a quick learner and Jensen wondered why it made him feel so proud. He ruffled Jared’s hair and remembered his own part, “Look at you! Such a good boy.”

Jared leaned into him, seeking protection and his hair brushed against Jensen’s leg.

The captain greeted them with a tip of his hat and a handshake. Captain Charles Malik Whitfield was as impressive as his name, a rugged black human in an old fashioned button up jacket and gold rimmed cap. “I do hope your journey was trouble free, Master Ackles. I hear you are in our honeymoon suite. It is a wonderful choice, I know you shall be very comfortable. Your complementary drinks, flowers and fruit have been sourced from Mittial Two which has some of the finest gardens in the galaxy. Please let your cabin assistant know your preferences.”

Jensen acknowledged him with an easy smile and approving noises. “That sounds wonderful, Captain. Can I introduce you to my new partner and submissive, Jared.”

Jared stiffened by his side, no doubt unsure of what to do. He decided to do nothing and looked straight ahead. It was a good choice.

“I found Jared on The Sub Space Partnership Cataloge; farming community, poor crops, parents looking for some stability, you know how it goes.”

The Captain nodded, he did. Travel opens your eyes to such practices.

Jensen continued in a cover story agreed with Kane, close enough to circumstances to ring true, “He was willing and well, I loved the look of him right away. In the few months we have been together he has been somewhat slow to train with my business taking so much of my time. He’s a delight nevertheless and I adore him. I felt it was time for a holiday, perhaps a networking break with an opportunity to improve the boy’s demeanor. The Black Valentine came to mind immediately.” He bent down to kiss the top of Jared's head. 

"Well, in that case, we are flattered," the Captain replied. He took a step back and regarded Jared as one would a pack animal. “He is indeed a fine specimen.” He checked their travel holos and visas as he spoke, comparing 3D graphics of Jared and Jensen. Jensen didn’t doubt their integrity, his employers were precise about such things. “And you even wed him?” he asked Jensen conversationally.

“We all have urges but I try not to be a monster. It provided some reassurance to his parents. Financial interests, mergers and competition take up most of my time so I was looking for more than a slave. I believe I have found it. If not…” Jensen shrugged, “I can always get another.”

“True enough,” the Captain agreed, “Well, this all seems to be in order so I shall welcome you aboard and take a moment to remind you that submissives must be appropriately tagged with your ownership at all times and must be accompanied by a responsible Master when they are not within the confines of your suite. Strays will be confiscated by the crew, removed to the common slave hold and may be made available for paid use.” He looked almost regretful, “We are aware that it is a strict policy but such rules ensure the safety of everybody aboard the Black Valentine.” His shoes clicked together as he took his leave of them, “Enjoy your stay Master Ackles. Your cabin assistant shall be with you shortly to show you to your suite.”  

***

The honeymoon suite was practically the size of Jared’s family home. When the cabin assistant backed out and closed the door Jared stood up and took a running leap for the gigantic floating bed. It adjusted automatically for his height and he didn’t sink or bounce but sat weightless. “Oh, my god! It’s a gaseous, float-adjust! Do you know how much they cost?” he exclaimed.

He wasn’t expecting, Jensen’s quick reaction.  He was grabbed by his collar, dragged off the bed and tossed to the floor. A flat handed slap stung his cheek. “Get on your knees, Jared, I didn’t give you permission to sit on the bed.”

“But I thought…,"

Jensen’s palm connected to the other side of his face. He drew breath in shock.

“You wait for permission, understand me?”

His excitement faded into pain and anger but he’d made an agreement with this man, this kidnapper, and he knew he wasn’t his friend. He knelt up, dipped his head in submission,“Yessir, I understand.” His words were meek but his body shook in anger.

Jensen’s fingers touched his head and he flinched, but they only stroked his hair. “We need to establish discipline. There is a good reason for it. You will get to relax, in time, then I promise that you can jump on the bed, only you need to always follow my cue, Jared. Tell me that you will do that.”

“I will always wait for your permission, for everything,” Jared said sulkily, to the floor.

“Oh, Jared, you need to do better than that. Cheek will earn you a smacked ass, and you’re already at ten smacks, so bite back your frustration and show some enthusiasm, boy.”

“What!” Jared couldn’t help himself, he looked up at Jensen, fury and hurt churning within him.

Jensen stared back at him. He seemed calm, benign almost. Jared didn’t understand.

“I know you’re angry, Jared. Dial it back and your punishment will stay at ten smacks. Argue and it’s going to increase. There are all sorts of fun toys in this room, don’t make me use them.”

Jared flicked his gaze to the glass cabinet by the side of the bed where he could see paddles, whips and instruments that he didn’t recognize, all embossed with the logo of the Black Valentine and neatly stored. He had seen some of them in the brochure and he didn’t want to make their acquaintance. His head felt fuzzy and the edges of his vision started to go dark.

Jensen knelt beside him in a moment, his hand rubbing comforting circles on his back. It was so confusing. “Breathe with me, Jared. It’s just a bit of panic. You can deal with it. I’m betting your teacher punished you worse when you blew up the Chem lab?”

His heart beat raced. “The cane,” he sniffed. Oh, he hadn’t wanted to cry, “Please don’t use the cane,” he begged.

Jensen held his hand up, wiggled his fingers, “Pants down, over my knee, ten smacks with this hand. Then I promise it will be over and you will always remember to wait for permission to relax.”

It was humiliating but what choice did he have?

“Yessir.”

There was a large armchair in the bedroom, high and big enough for two. Jensen turned and sat on it, his legs splayed wide and tips of his feet steadied on the floor.

“”Well, then, trousers off Jared, and come here.”

He shuddered. A hot tear spilled over his lashes, “Are you going to rape me?” he asked. He thought it was better to know.

“No. I’m not going to have sex with you Jared, but I am going to smack your ass. Clear enough?”

He nodded shakily, turned his back on Jensen and unlaced his pants.

“Jared. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. Just get on with it and come over here.” Jensen sounded impatient.

He pushed his pants off in a rush and his slap-sore face burned with embarrassment.

It took a few moments to drape him over Jensen’s knee. He was lanky for his age and it was ungainly and uncomfortable. He was still fidgeting when the first blow came down on his right ass cheek. “Ow!” he yelped and all his muscles tensed. He wanted to scream, he wanted to punch the bastard, he wanted to go home. He tried to get up but Jensen's arm braced over him, surprisingly strong.

A second slap brought blood to the surface of his left ass cheek and it throbbed. He squirmed and tried to escape but he was still being held firmly.

“Give it up, or I add ten,” Jensen warned. He sounded pissed.

Jared closed his eyes and tried to relax his body, pain was easier to take that way.

Three and four clipped his buttocks at an angle and he knew they would leave a mark. He thought that five and six must sound like blaster-fire they hit so resoundingly. He started to sob at number nine, with the relief of it being almost over.

His ass was rosy hot when Jensen finally released him. He hadn’t been punished in such a way since he was a toddler over his mother’s knee and he sobbed mostly for the shock and humiliation, because it occurred to him that it wasn’t nearly as painful as his teacher’s cane had been on the palm of his hand. He slid off Jensen's lap the moment he was released and sank to his knees beside him, afraid to displease him again.

“Go and use the bathroom, Jared. Take a nice long mineral bath, polish your teeth, wash your hair, shave and come back, and then you can relax. We’ll both test the bed, and stare out of the porthole, yeah?”

Jensen’s smile reached his eyes. Jared shivered. His mood changes were disconcerting. Maybe there was no partner or business deal, perhaps he was just some sort of psycho.

“Go on. Some nice warm water, yeah?” Jensen ruffled his hair again. He didn’t flinch. He was beginning to get used to it.

His legs moved awkwardly as the sting of his ass made it feel like he was waddling but he did what he was told. Truth be told, he had really looked forward to the luxury of the deep mineral spa bath and wanted to try the lotions in gem bottles, which were artfully placed around the room.

“Sea salt, I want it to make me float. Oh, and a soothing fragrance, and oils” he told the computer, “And can the shower rain gently on me while I’m soaking?”

“Gentle shower confirmed. What temperature do you require?”  

“Um, hot, not wrinkly hot though.” Jared ordered. He decided he might as well enjoy the luxury, it might be the last the thing he did. He leaned over a giant arrangement of orchids, their scent was delicious.

“Oh, Jared!”

He gritted his teeth. What now? “Yessir?”

“Don’t smell the flowers. Well, I mean you can, it’s up to you, but the red orchids are an aphrodisiac and we were planning on getting some sleep tonight.”

Right. He had no idea if they could affect him but it was a complication he didn't need. Jared straightened and backed away from the display.

“Drawing at 38 degrees,” the computer bleated, and a waterfall of emerald green water gushed into the deep end of the tub, while a gentle spray rained over it. Jared removed his shirt. This was awesome. This was beyond awesome. This might even be worth dying for. The water was uncomfortably warm on his ass when he first stepped in but it soon faded. He was exhausted and this was bliss. He closed his eyes.

There was a clink on the side of the bath. He opened them again.

“I brought you a drink, part of the welcome pack. Good vintage too,” said Jensen, resting a glass of white wine on the generous rim of the tub. He leaned in and gave Jared a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I do love you, y’know,” he said as he got up to leave again. “Don’t drown in there. I’ll be just outside.”

Huh? Jensen was weird but he wouldn’t think about it. The bath was deep and comforting and he wanted to be cocooned in it for ever. He sipped the wine curiously. It tasted a little like his Aunt Em’s spring gooseberry cordial but this was somehow warmer and made his head feel fuzzy. His Aunt Em was sure to disapprove. He drank it all in a few gulps.


	7. Chapter 7

Jensen rubbed his eyes and silently cursed that Kane wasn’t online. Without his neural chip he had no extensive tools to sweep their suite for bugs. Keeping up the appearance of Master to Jared’s submissive was unconvincing, exhausting and unfair to the kid. Sure, there were going to be worse disciplines but he’d told Jared that he would be free to be himself in their suite and he’d like to keep his promise. He grabbed some clean boxer briefs to put in the dressing area for Jared and then switched on the entertainment screen. He flicked through the channels and ordered some clothes for Jared before bookmarking some tours and events which seemed suitable. There were several channels dedicated entirely to slave topics and some interactive training sessions which would be a useful resource for Jared so he bookmarked those too. 

Kane eventually come back online to assess the security of their suite and sweep for bugs. For now they set up a blocking signal which scooped up real time footage, cleaned it up and looped it back out on a delay. Code had been added to his neural chip to pick up sensors that tracked it and to scramble them. In high surveillance areas it would deactivate entirely and a fail-safe meant that if sensors did somehow pick up the chip, the reaction was delayed long enough to throw suspicion on the next person to be scanned. It would have to be enough.

Jared returned from the bathroom smelling like a perfume advert, yawning and mellow. It wasn’t surprising, Jensen had slipped him a drop of sedative with his wine. He suggested that he sleep on the generously thick and fleecy slave bed at the foot of the main bed but Jensen insisted that the main bed was awesome and gigantic and there was no reason that they couldn’t share; he wouldn’t force himself on Jared but they had to eliminate personal space and be comfortable with the subtle touches of casual intimacy. Jared climbed in without argument, giving a half-hearted bounce before settling in and adjusting the pillows just-so under his head so he could stare out of their porthole. There weren’t any stars to see but he seemed content to gaze into the black, catching glimpses of bright service bugs which buzzed between decks. Between yawns he had a raft of sleepy questions for Jensen and wanted to apologize for staring at the A.I. who had greeted them, “Should I apologize to an A.I.?” he asked, “”Do they understand rudeness? Are they offended? Is it rude to stare on every planet? Only I was confused because they said they were designed to be pleasing to our demographic but I saw that other ships had completely different A.I.s to greet them.” 

“I’ve never thought about it,” said Jensen, “So maybe I am ruder than you. Different places have different social norms. Perhaps they don’t notice. An A.I. is never an ‘it’, they have names and are generally referred to as ‘ai’. Their programming allows them to learn different emotions but hate, aggression and negativity are generally excluded. I suspect they cannot become offended by us, on a cruiser such as this, so we won’t apologize. They will certainly be used to it. As for appearance,” Jensen smiled softly at him, “Did you look at the people they were greeting?” He looked at Jared, waiting for a realization to set in. 

It only took a moment for Jared to get it, “Oh!” he said, leaning up on his elbow, “The A.I.s look like the people that they greet.” 

Jensen grinned, “Yeah, people feel more comfortable around other people who look like them. I expect a cruiser like this keeps different skins and chips for them so they always suit the guests.” 

Jared spoke mid-yawn, his head falling back to his pillows, “A.I. s can change their skins? That’s awesome. He fought to keep his eyes open, “I didn’t know they could do that.” 

“Some people too,” Jensen said quietly. 

But Jared’s eyes closed and his head rolled back on the bed. “Huh,” was the only reply, or maybe it was just a loud exhale.

He tucked the comforter over the kid’s shoulders.

Jensen allowed himself to rest then, on the perfect-cloud bed, and while he lay primly on his side of it, Jared, it seemed was a snuggler, who searched out his warmth in his sleep, wrapping arms and legs around him. Jensen let him. It was the least he could give him in the circumstances, besides his life could be lonely and the contact felt kind of good. He slept.

Kane pinged on line as soon as he woke, or maybe it was the connection which woke him.  “Ah, isn’t he sweet! Can’t believe you didn’t ask for more.” 

Jensen felt like growling, “Don’t be that asswipe, dude. We made a deal and I’m a gentleman.”

Kane chuckled. “Really? I never noticed, and that is pretty hard to resist.”

“Nevertheless, I manage, now give me some pointers before I wake him up. No sense in stressing him out unnecessarily.” 

“Hate to say it Jen, but pushing your sub to the limits is pretty much the whole purpose of the Black Valentine, so you better man up and strap in - or strap him in anyhow,” Kane laughed at his own joke. 

Jensen didn’t reply, he knew that Kane would pick up his displeasure.  They worked out the skeleton of a plan without Kane making another personal remark. 

***

Jensen pulled the cover from Jared with a flourish, “Good morning, sunshine. Time to rise and shine.” 

A hand grabbed it back and Jared squinted up at him, bleary eyed, “But how can you be sure?” he muttered sleepily. 

“Because, sweetheart, our entertainment screen has a little sunshine symbol at the corner and the ship lights have increased their intensity.” 

“S’dark out. We’re in space s’always night,” Jared protested, waving his hand toward the porthole. 

“Nice try, but if you don’t get up and get dressed we will miss our first stop and I thought you’d want to visit the Mystic Caves of Orrodin.” 

Jared sat upright, he was suddenly awake, “With the ancient standing stones which whistle?” 

“I’m told so.” 

“And I’m allowed to go with you?” Jared shuffled to the edge of their bed, almost bouncing with excitement. 

“Of course. You will be expected to meet certain standards of behavior and we shall be attending a more , eh - stressful, event prior to the excursion but if you are good, then I believe it will be an adequate reward.” 

“I’ll do it, whatever,” Jared gushed. 

The trauma of the previous day seemed to have dissipated, Jensen couldn’t help grinning at his enthusiasm, “You’re kind of easy, you know that?” 

“But the caves of Orrodin!” Jared replied. 

“Okay, sunshine, wash, shave and then put these clothes on and join me on the couch, and we’ll do a little homework.” 

He popped his head out of the bathroom, mid shave to yell across the suite, “That bed, by the way. Worth the money! Best sleep ever! ” 

Jensen decided not to mention the sedative, it could prove useful again. 

There was a slight grumble when Jared saw his outfit but a powder pink pleated miniskirt hung low on his hips and he squeezed into a crop top with a pink glittery fish design. It all matched the color of his collar perfectly. The outfit was completed with a pair of soft lacy panties which fitted snugly with subtle support for his balls. 

Jensen shouted a reminder, “Brush your hair or I’ll put it in bunches,” and was surprised when Jared wandered through with a hairbrush and glittery hair clips he had found with the complementary toiletries. 

“I could use these,” he offered, a little too readily.  It would keep my bangs out of my eyes and they match my skirt.” He performed a little spin for Jensen and the bottom of the skirt swirled up revealing the outline of his cock in his panties. Jensen almost spat the coffee he was drinking. The kid looked good, maybe too good.   

“I don’t like the top but I love this skirt. It’s like, designer. I wanted one for our prom but they were way too expensive. Not very practical for caves, but yeah, thanks. I swear I’ll try not to damage it,” continued Jared.

 “There are protective clothes for the tour," said Jensen. "Sure, put the clips in if you want to. Have you ever worn heels?” 

“Dude, I’m eighteen of course I have.” 

Well, there was that. Jensen decided not to mention that he hadn’t ever tried to wear heels and rarely wore a skirt. It simply wasn’t the custom where he was from and it was difficult to run or fight in them which actually made them ideal for a submissive, especially one who might think about running once the reality of their situation set in.

“Do I need stockings? Make up?” Jared asked. 

“No, your skin is perfect. Just make sure you moisturize.” 

Jared looked scandalized at the thought that he might not. He was full of surprises.    

Kane let out a long whistle, “Whoo, boy. He is something else. He looks like dessert in a banquet of dry bread. Gonna have to keep him away from the sharks, Jensen.” 

“Oh, don’t worry. He is all mine.” 

“Did you say something?” Jared came over to stand beside him. 

He didn’t realize he had spoken aloud, “Just that you’re all mine. You look amazing, Jared.” 

The kid blushed and the tap of his fingers against his palm gave away his worries, “Thanks. You won’t share me will you?” 

“No. Why would you ask that?” Jensen wondered. 

Jared looked down at his body, his fingers splayed over his slim, muscular stomach. “Only sex workers show their navel.” 

“Ah! Okay. Maybe on Winchester, but I can assure you that in most places everyone will be charmed to see those perfect abs and the curve at the base of your spine. There are some who would be shocked to see your ankles, but on this cruise there is no prudery. Bodies are beautiful and no part of them is a scandal.  You look like a million credit, Jared.”

 Jared self consciously rubbed his hand across his stomach and blushed adorably, “Really?” 

“Yes. Now come and kneel by my side. We’ll have breakfast and talk about the kinks we might try. We’ll draw up a short list of the ones that you are willing to try, another of kinks you really don’t think you can manage, and then there will be some things that you don’t want to try but I am going to insist on, because I need to network with certain people. We’ll find some middle ground and maybe you’ll even enjoy some of it." 

Jared sank obediently to his knees on the cushion beside his chair and rested his chin cheekily on Jensen’s knee. “Y’know, you’re not bad for a pirate. I’ve been thinking and I’m sorry about last night. I could be stuck on the Brief Encounter forever, being fucked into a dirty mattress by anybody who can pay a few credit. It’s difficult but I’m going to do better.” 

“Gotta hand it to you, he’s a natural,” Kane commented. 

Jensen was more cynical, "He has a strong sense of self preservation," but to Jared he echoed, out loud, “You’re a natural. You’ll be perfect. Now take your chin off my knee unless you want to include puppy play in your list of possibilities.” 

“Puppy play?” Jared removed his chin but he had a glint of curiosity in his eye.

 


	8. Chapter 8

The view outside the dome of the Valentine lounge was soot black with only a faint wink of two stars from a distant system. The ship had performed a warp hop overnight and everything that Jared knew was now far, far out of reach. There was no going back for him now, only the tenuous hope that Jensen was telling him the truth and would return him after their cruise. 

Jensen had insisted that they attend the first shipboard luncheon in the main lounge, and at the start of the buffet the Captain had informed everybody that they were approaching Orrodin. After one more hop the view from the lounge dome would reportedly be breathtaking. In his current circumstances, Jared didn’t know whether he hoped they would be there to see it or if he wanted to be safely back in their suite by then. 

He tensed his muscles and released them one after another. His current predicament could be worse but he was not used to being still. Right now though, still was his only option. He was bored and his muscles ached in an unaccustomed pose. The heels of his mid-height silvery stilettos dug into his calf and the rope which bound him to his position was silky soft and crimson red. Jensen had brought him to this lounge just before luncheon started, had him kneel with his hands behind his back and his gaze up to the dome while he painstakingly wrapped the rope to bind his wrists to his ankles and then secure his body in a clever crossed pattern of knotted rope which constricted his movement. That it also crushed the skirt Jared had loved the moment he saw it was a minor point; he had seen a number of slaves brought to this event entirely naked, and several Masters who stopped to admire Jensen’s rope work suggested painful decorations or small tortures. Jensen smiled at each of them and took time to consider the positive aspects of their suggestions but replied that it was early in the cruise and unmarked skin pleased him. His submissive, he assured them, had a tendency to fidget and slouch and this was a lesson in patience and beauty. Jared had to admit that Jensen probably wasn’t wrong about his faults but he wasn’t able to comment, because even before they set off for the Valentine lounge Jensen had ordered him to open his mouth wide and lodged a smooth round ball-gag behind his teeth. Jared had waited meekly for him fasten it at the back of his head and fought the urge to fight him or scream. He had made a bargain with Jensen and the gag was after all, only to protect him from his talkative nature. His co-operation didn’t lessen the pull on the edge of his lips though or the disgusting way that his saliva slobbered over the ball. 

Time passed excruciatingly slowly. His view was limited and he split his time between staring out of the dome and trying to catch a glimpse of Jensen as he criss-crossed the room introducing himself. Despite being resentful of his discomfort he couldn’t help a spark of pride when he looked at Jensen. He had come to this event with the most handsome person in the room. Jensen looked like a prince dressed in a shimmering green sherwani with a pink fish-detail sash that matched Jared’s outfit. He had dressed, without shame, beside Jared, so Jared also knew that the sheer spider-silk leggings were the only thing he wore beneath his sherwani. He tried not to think about how well endowed Jensen was. He had agreed that Jensen alone could fuck him but that was before he had seen the size of him and there seemed no way that it was going to be comfortable. His thoughts were interrupted by an overwhelming desire to itch his exposed navel but it was impossible and maddening. Jensen returned to Jared every few minutes, ruffled his hair or stroked his shoulder with a brief “Good Boy,” but he was entirely helpless, on display for the pleasure of others, only able to sniff the rich food that others ate. It was humiliating. He told himself that he had done this before, in a line and naked, at twelve years old. He had survived that and he had won. He had been chosen by the first son of the wealthiest family on Winchester. He could get through this.

 An A.I. inquired about Jensen's preferences for Jared. Jensen asked their name and was told “Maeve”. They smiled and thanked him for his interest, and Jensen smiled at Jared in turn and said, “See, you improve me too, love.” Maeve issued a yellow, pink and red striped band which automatically adjusted around Jared’s wrist and they explained the color coding to him: Red to show that nobody except his Master was permitted to touch him. Yellow because his Master must also give permission for him to speak or be spoken to. Pink indicated that he was a voluntary submissive, with a low risk of escape. It gave Jared a small jolt of pride that Jensen had entrusted him with the pink band. 

From where he knelt trussed and displayed, Jared could also see the huge tusked Master who sat down to court company as if on a throne, with his thick legs resting on his naked twin redhead slaves. Masters who sought his company grabbed, pawed and slimed on the slaves, pinching their skin and slapping them. He was grateful that his range of vision was limited by his bondage because it seemed that other slaves endured similar treatment while the Masters clinked glasses, ate the fine food and droned on interminably about business opportunities, high end shuttles and cruel toys for their slaves.   

Jensen’s voice mixed into the general chatter as he worked his way around the Masters who wished to greet him and talked about whatever rich people talked about at such events. His voice was slightly lower than most with a gentle drawl and Jared could hear it and know that he wasn’t entirely abandoned on the floor of this strange cruiser, far from home. 

Jared waited. He concentrated on the constant ache of his muscles, the sharper cramping pains that shot through his nerves and the silky pressure of the rope, while the growl and cadence of Jensen’s voice soothed him. A set of ship lights cut into the black beyond the dome. They flashed blue and yellow en route for Orrodin or another nearby planet and he watched their slow progress. His mind drifted, his thoughts became fuzzy at the edges and the bustle around him became irrelevant. 

A touch on his head startled him and he squeaked. He came back to himself, disoriented and dizzy. 

Jensen stroked his hair and crouched in front of him, “Hey, it’s okay. I brought somebody to meet you and I thought you might want a drink.” 

There were no longer any lights in the black beyond the dome. How long had it been? He tried to speak but his tongue lodged behind the ball in his mouth and he ‘mmphed’ instead. 

“Ssh!” reminded Jensen. 

Of course, thought Jared and caught his eye roll just in time to pretend it was some sort of yawn. He really didn’t want to have his ass smacked in public. 

“He is just darling,” came a cheerful voice beside them. An elfin with dark skin, dark eyes and pointed ears reached a hand to Jared’s face, “May I?” they asked, just before withdrawing their four beautifully manicured fingers in a hurry, “Apologies, your band has red, I missed it under the red rope.” 

Jensen replied with a shrug,  “I’m selfish and possessive. When I have something beautiful, I want to keep it to myself. I thought it best to label him clearly.” 

“Well, won’t you be interesting at the end of cruise auction?” the elfin smiled back at Jensen in an obvious flirt. 

Jensen didn’t seem to notice their interest in him, “Oh, I shan’t be auctioning Jared, but I may bid on an item or two,” he paused, theatrically pretending to look dejected, “Sometimes I wonder if there is anything I can’t afford to buy, Linda. It can get ...boring.” Jensen made it sound as if wealth was an inconvenience. His fingers ruffled Jared’s hair, locating the clasp for the gag and unfastening it. He eased the drool soaked ball from his mouth with care. 

“I know what you mean,” the elfin, Linda, sighed, “What is a platinum collar when you own the foundries and mines?” 

Maeve sidled up to them, took the gag from Jensen and cleaned it with a sterile wipe before returning it. It was seamless and silent service. They moved on to the next Master requiring assistance and a bot trundled over with an assortment of containers holding an array of different drinks. 

Jensen gently rubbed the sides of Jared’s mouth, he took a glass of clear bubbly drink and placed it to his lips. “You must be thirsty, you’ve been so good for me. Sip it gently, yeah?” He tipped it up and Jared obeyed. 

He almost coughed it up, Jared didn’t think it was a narcotic but it had a kick, maybe alcohol? In his current predicament he had been expecting water or some sort of vegetable juice. He managed to swallow it with a gulp and wide eyes. The after taste was sweet and delicious and he strained forward for more. 

Jensen shook his head and smiled in amusement, “Not used to spirits?” he wondered, “You can tell me, Jared.” 

“Many places have drinking bans until at least twenty one cycles,” the elfin commented, “ He should probably take it easy.” 

Jared’s throat was still dry, his jaw stiff, so he simply nodded. There had been times when he and Chad had managed to procure some farm wine or home brewed beer but it  never had the kick or sophistication of this. 

They both chuckled at him then. Jensen eased a few more drops into his mouth and this time Jared savored it, rolling it on his tongue before swallowing. 

The elfin stood and pulled on a leash in their hand, “Bear, come and meet Jared. Jared is interested in puppy play. He and his Master should come to one of our beginner sessions don’t you think?” 

“I think we should try it,” agreed Jensen as a big furry creature bowled towards Jared on all fours. Jared tried to move out of the way but the rope bound him in place. It didn’t matter, the dog, or pup, or whatever it was, skidded to a stop just in front of him and let out an excited “Rrof” 

Close up it was obvious that the pup was elfin with some sort of muzzle mask, pup ears and a tail grafted onto a body which sprouted a thin layer of soft body hair. He couldn’t help his gasp. The surgery involved in such a transformation had to be barbaric. 

“Rrof!” The tail wagged, ears were pricked and the pup’s tongue licked a stripe on Jared’s nose. 

“Down Bear!” 

The elfin pup dropped on its haunches and looked up at Jared, panting happily.  Jared shuddered. When Jensen had mentioned pup play he hadn’t imagined anything as drastic. It was weird and dehumanizing and it made him uncomfortable. He wished he hadn’t ticked the box to say he would try it and didn’t want the elfin pup or Master anywhere near him. 

“We are taking the tour to Orrodin later, so if your boy has anything he’d like to ask Bear, it would be a good time. For now, I am taking Bear back to our cabin for some private playtime, if you get what I mean.” Linda jiggled their eyebrows and leaned in close enough for Jared and Jensen to hear them whisper, “I just love my pup’s knot.” They shook Jensen’s hand, “It was a delight meeting you.” 

And, oh, Bear was no pup, his cock peeked eagerly out of its sheath below low hung-balls, and the thought of it was gross. It was all too much for Jared. He suddenly realized that he was tied up and on display like some sort of object, the pain in his muscles became unbearable and he was exhausted. He wanted to be back on Winchester, in his safe little farmhouse, eating his mother’s jupling soup while his dad nagged him to complete his homework. He opened his mouth to say please but he knew he mustn’t and his mouth didn’t work right after wearing the gag for so long anyway. A single tear slipped over his lashes and his lip trembled. 

With a tug of Bear’s leash, Linda was off towards the exit. 

*** 

Jensen hadn’t imagined that their first event on the ship would go so well. Jared’s quiet acquiescence had been admired  and he hadn’t needed to be naked to make an impression. The elfin oligarchs, Linda and Bear Tran had stopped to take an interest in their honeymoon and he was sure that Bear had was ready to swallow his cover story. He hoped that Linda would prove as malleable. 

The self appointed Duke Pellegrino, chief human asshole and kleptocrat of the Lawrence System had puffed himself up, tormenting his slave with cattle prods and whips and pretty much shadowed the Captain, courting praise and a place at the Captain’s table, but he glanced their way to take a second and third look at Jared. The man would not want to mix with anyone who he thought less important than himself, but Jared had taken his eye and Jensen would ensure that their paths crossed frequently enough to present an opportunity. He would play to his vanity and greed. 

LIse Berie had skirted the edge of the luncheon with their human submissive who was striking in a tiny and tight leather dress, and walking confidently in the highest stilettos Jensen had ever seen. Lise Berie, the Secretary of System for the Aquarian Nations was obviously uncomfortable in their impressive human style air-skin but they had seen Jensen, recognized a fellow traveler and greeted him warmly. Everyone has their kinks but Jensen was fairly certain that the Aquarian Nations didn’t include dominance or sadism in theirs, which meant that their purpose aboard the Black Valentine was likely to clash with his. It was unfortunate, but Jensen would not allow them to interfere. 

With the Trans taking off to their suite and the party winding down, Jensen looked around the lounge and considered his next move. Christian Kane’s interruption was unexpected, 

“Get Jared out of there, he’s dropping, Jensen.” 

One glance proved Kane right. Jared had lost all color in his face and his hands were starting to shake. 

“Jared, we’re going now. It’s going to be fine. Stay with me, you have to walk out of here with me, you understand? We’ll be back in our suite in no time and then you can rest. Stay in the zone, just a little while longer, can you do that?” 

Jared sniffed and took a deep breath. He nodded.   

Jensen bent down to him and started to slip knots one by one. Dammit, it was taking too long. He drew a utility knife from his belt and slid it up through the beautiful silk strands - they could be replaced. Jared flinched under the massage of his fingers but his muscles weren’t in spasm, he would be able to walk. Jensen didn’t stop to tidy behind him, simply lifted Jared upright and supported him with an arm around his waist as his legs tried to balance on his heels without crumpling. 

“Walk Jared!” he ordered him, and if it sounded a little sharp, it was necessary, Jensen couldn’t lose face now. 

There was a flicker of anger in Jared’s eyes. 

“Good, get angry with me. Use it to get back to our suite, then you can lay into me,” Jensen whispered into his ear. 

Jared walked.

***

They should have been prepared for this. Jared stumbled into their suite and fell onto the sofa, pummeling the cushions. He pummeled Jensen, cried and begged to go home. Jensen knelt over him, pinning him down because they really didn’t need ship security to get involved.  When he threatened him with punishment Kane interceded, 

“Ease up. Care for him. Let him know the scene is over.” Kane insisted, “Use warm blankets, feed him sugary food, listen to him, reassure him and don’t leave him alone.” 

They were at odds over the cause. Kane felt that Jared had checked out during the luncheon; That he may have experienced sub space while Jensen was networking and been roused out of it abruptly when the Trans were introduced, causing sub drop. Jensen didn’t think it was possible to suffer from sub drop in simple bondage,  and Jared, well Jared was in abject misery and incapable of talking coherently. In the end they both conceded that it didn’t matter - either Jared was experiencing meltdown and running on empty after being kidnapped and used this way, or his hormones had dropped after going into subspace. The nett result was the same and would likely respond to similar care. 

Jensen grabbed Jared’s shoulders and pulled him up into a tight hug. Jared continued sobbing but he stopped hitting out. Okay, progress. He grabbed the nearest soft blanket and wrapped him burrito-style, like a small child “Jared! Jared! LIsten to me! The scene is over, you are safe in our suite. You can relax. I know you want to see the Caves of Orrodin and that trip leaves in three standard hours. We can play some music. What music do you like? How about we get you some chocolate or would you like some warm food?” 

Jared’s sobbing increased and he stuttered out, “Jupling Soup. I want jupling soup.” 

Okay, that was something he could arrange. 

Their cabin assistant wasn’t at all flustered by Jared’s emotional state, They pointed Jensen to a ‘drop kit’- a basket of items on a shelf in their sitting area, and Jensen sprayed a dot of calming fragrance on the blanket then broke off a piece of darkest Arcadian caramel chip chocolate and fed it to Jared by hand. Jared’s sobbing slowed for a moment as he chewed. 

“You like that?” 

Jared sniffed and nodded a red-eyed reply, Jensen gave him the entire bar. Jared chewed methodically, and clearly determined not to look at Jensen or the A.I., he looked down. 

“Good boy.” 

Once Jared seemed settled with his chocolate, Jensen studied the room service menu and ordered simple toasted bread with local nut cheeses for him. “I need that with jupling soup,” he said. 

“There is no jupling on the menu, sir.” 

Jensen growled, “This is the most expensive cruise in the four galaxies, why can’t chef make jupling soup?” 

The A.I. seemed to search its databanks for a moment. “We have a limited stock of jupling in the cold store but it is a common ingredient, not exclusive enough for chef’s menu.” 

Jared’s tears started again, “Sorry, s’tupid, this is stupid,” he sniffed as he wiped his eyes. The cabin assistant passed him a linen handkerchief and he blew his nose. 

“You have jupling, so chef can make jupling soup. My sub is not to have fine food right now. Is that clear?” 

“There will be a charge.” 

“There is always a charge,” retorted Jensen. 

“You don’t have to,” argued Jared. 

“Of course I do, you’re a mess,” Jensen replied. 

“The order has been placed, is there anything more I can assist you with?” 

“No, you can go.” 

The A.I. was walking to the door when Jensen called to them again, “You don’t tell anybody what you saw here, are you clear?” 

Purple lips pursed and lilac eyes closed for a moment, Jensen wondered if A.I. s were capable of annoyance. 

“Sir, this is the most exclusive cruise in the four galaxies, your privacy is assured at all times, my programming would not permit me to gossip. It is also my experience that slaves and submissives experience sub drop at a rate of 19.7% averaged across all shipboard activities.” 

“Right. Well then.” 

“Thank you ai, I feel stupid,” Jared unexpectedly butted in. 

The door closed and Jared was already defensive and crying again, “S sorry, I forgot not to speak. I know I’m being stupid and useless and I hit you but please don’t leave Chad on that ship. I promise I’ll do better. You can spank me, whatever it takes.” 

Jensen sighed and opened his arms wide for a hug, “I gave you permission to lay into me, remember? C’mere. You’re doing okay and we won’t leave Chad there, I promise.” 

Jared leaned into him, a tacit acceptance of his comfort. 

“No punishment. We’ll get you fed and sorted out, then enjoy our tour. Does that sound right?” 

“‘Kay” 

“By the way, Jared, what is jupling?” 

There was a hint of a giggle in the reply, before Jared was sobbing again, “It’s a root vegetable, you cook it with it’s leaves and fine Winchester soil on its skin. We grow it at home. My mom makes the best jupling soup.” 

“With the soil? Uh, might be giving that a miss kiddo.” 

***

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

Maybe it was odd that Jensen thought Jared looked good in a thick puffy coat and shiny insu-heat pants but Jensen had to grudgingly admit it was true. The blue-tinted protective glasses and blue lip stick were hardly flattering but he pulled it off somehow. Maybe it was the wide genuine smile with full dimples that made him stand out, or perhaps it was the lip-biting concentration with which he listened to the audio-guide describing the discovery and archaeological investigation of the caves of Orrodin.  A number of other slaves struggled without sound moderators, information, or adequate clothing. It was understandable that their smiles were scarce.

They traveled down a winding path, two miles or more, through rough-cut rock passages and ethereal caves, with stalagmites, stalactites and glass-still pools all fairy-lit to show their way, until they reached an enormous underground cavern. Delayed echoes bounced back from the walls with changed pitch and the guide advised them to avoid the thick, sticky sap that dripped from the cavern roof and fell with a heavy plop-plop onto the rocky path around them. An eerie yellow glow made it hard to see clearly but  they all gasped as it faded and a thick, blinding black darkness descended. The tour group fell quiet enough to hear the steady trickle of water under the platform on which they gathered. Then, a rainbow of lights flashed and swirled like a psychedelic mist, lighting a vast, still, lake before them. Bright color flickered and crackled in arcs onto the tips of rocks in the water forming a stormy lightning dance at least a quarter of a mile wide. 

Beside Jensen, Jared gasped and leaned forward as far as he could to view the spectacle. “Wow!" 

Jensen leaned in, to whisper in his ear, “Keep watching.” 

The lightning strings ceased suddenly and their group were now bathed in a fluorescent green light. Jensen looked up at the giant arched roof of the cavern, his hand tipped Jared’s chin up to look with him. 

“Oh, my god!” 

Across its uneven arch millions of tiny dots sparkled green, lighting their way. 

“This is real, not a staged show?” Jared whispered in Jensen’s ear. 

Jensen took his hand, squeezed it in reminder and Jared fearfully shut his mouth and snapped his attention back to Jensen. 

“Hey, guide, is this real? Can you explain it?” Jensen asked the question loudly, of the tour guide who had led them into the cavern. 

“I shall explain it presently, there is mo…,” The guide was cut off by a wail which started quiet and low and gathered momentum until the screech echoed and pounded, made their hair stand on end and their hearts race. The water passing below their platform started to slosh with violent, frothy blue waves that threatened to swamp them. The guide lifted a white stick in an indication to move on promptly, and they filed out of the cavern into a wide wood-lined passage where the sound gradually faded and their way was lit by traditional markers. The party stopped by an information screen, with Masters gossiping among themselves and their slaves in quiet awe or quiet agony, depending upon the level of protection their Master allowed them against the cold, the radiation and the noise. 

Their guide spoke up, “For the person who asked if this is all natural, I can guarantee that it is indeed a natural phenomenon evolved over thousands of cycles. The stones were carved by primitive beings who lived in the caves before the seas of Orrodin rose and swamped them. A few thousand cycles ago, those waters subsided providing native krill and lichen with the building blocks to create this wonder, which few are granted permission to witness. The krill in the water, the rock lichens and fauna form a symbiotic relationship to synthesize a combination of chemicals from the environment which build up an electrically charged mist that bounces and recharges off the rocks to create these effects. Scientists surmise that it is an attempt to scare creatures away and thus prevent any harvesting.”  

 “Told you,” boasted Jensen. 

Jared grinned and studied each display, reading all the information screens before they exited the Caves. Jensen indulged him, it made him oddly happy to watch Jared’s enthusiasm for learning new things. 

Outside, a blast of icy wind blew rock sand at them and the tour guide hurried them to a nearby food hall, conveniently placed to serve average snacks for premium prices. Jensen thought it was disappointingly like a shuttle diner but Jared’s face was full of wonder. He thought he’d like to see it all through Jared’s innocent eyes.  

In a corner of the food hall an elfin slave wept as they knelt by their Master, their skin was raw with the effects of wind and radiation and blood trickled from their ear. Jensen turned away from the sight and focused on Bear who carried a tray full of meaty pasties and rolls with steaming glasses of nut milk to Linda who sat waiting for them at a table. 

Linda beckoned Jensen over and he acknowledged it before looking at the menu and asking Jared “What do you want? You can speak to me” 

Jared looked surprised, like he hadn’t been expecting to choose, “Umm, the cheapest,” he suggested. 

“You really want Orrodin slug?” 

“Oh, um, no! I just thought.” 

“Stop overthinking, Jared!” 

Jared flinched and Jensen rolled his eyes, but spoke more softly, “I asked you to choose because you can have anything. Choose something you like.” 

“Other slaves aren’t eating.” 

“Well, Bear is, and the others are either permanent, or in a scene, and you’re not, so choose before I order the slug for you.” 

“Meat burger, a sandwich, something like that.” 

“Oh, for…,” 

Jared dropped his head, “Sorry. I’m not used to all this.” 

“No, it’s fine. I’m your Master, I’ll order something appropriate. How about we go and sit with Bear and Linda. They wanted to tell us about their pup sessions anyway.” He led Jared by his hand to their table where they greeted him warmly. “Can you look after my boy while I order. He’s permitted to talk.” 

“It would be our pleasure,” Bear replied and Linda echoed them. 

Jared’s mouth gaped in surprise and Jensen playfully tapped his chin to shut it. “Be good or it won’t end well,” he reminded. 

“Right now, I’m just me,” confirmed Bear, noting Jared’s shock.  “No scene.” 

*** 

Jared tried to get his head around the person with dog ears and tail, now upright, fully clothed and speaking in sentences, who had barked at him just the same day. 

Bear smiled warmly at him, “I had surgery to feel more complete when I am a pup but I am still elfin. Don’t you think I’d fail as a leader if I couldn’t fulfill my diplomatic and everyday functions?” 

Jared gathered himself together, he had taken classes in harem etiquette for his prospective husband, he could make small talk. “Oh, would you tell me little about your business. Do you trade throughout the local systems?” He looked at Linda as he spoke. 

Bear’s belly laugh rumbled up through him, “Oh you are thoroughly precious! My business is the Tamerlane System, my position in that business, President. I have millions of subjects in my care and more than a dozen mining planets at my disposal.” 

“You, er, how?” Jared was too ordinary and it overwhelmed him. This couldn’t be happening.  His etiquette sessions with Auntie Em didn’t cover royalty and planet leaders. He faltered, staring mutely at Bear. 

Bear’s laugh continued to rumble, “Well, by democratic election of course. Linda is my chancellor and a professional Master. I trust Linda with my pup and with my life so I also trust them to represent me. Don’t worry, boy. Here, we immerse ourselves in the purpose of our vacation. For now we are both slaves, both equal. Every-person needs a break from their responsibilities and that is what the Black Valentine and my inner pup do for me.” 

Jared still couldn’t find words, if Bear was telling the truth then they might be in a position to help Jared and Chad, but then again...he looked over his shoulder at where Jensen was loading a tray with food and staring back at him, “...it won’t end well,” were the last words Jensen had spoken. Somehow, Jared believed that he didn’t make idle threats. He looked around the dining room at an assortment of slaves serving their masters, most on leashes, many on their knees. They were under tables, on laps, some writhing in agony or in ecstasy as they were used in the most appalling ways. A Master with tentacles brutally fucked his werewolf slave in every orifice, some he had never imagined possible. Another didn’t give a care that others watched him bend their slave over a table to whip them until they oozed yellow blood. Many Masters were alone, having left their slaves on board the cruiser but he was sure that there were now less slaves than had set off on the shuttle to Orrodin. He didn’t understand, he especially didn’t understand how Bear was acting as if it were all a perfectly normal thing. 

He must have spoken aloud, “I don’t understand.” 

“What don’t you understand?” asked Bear. 

“The things that Masters do to their slaves.  Why haven’t law enforcement been brought in?” 

“Some enjoy it, others are legally owned in their own culture, a few have made detailed plans to die or be abandoned here. Their kinks may not be our kinks but it is nobody's place to judge. And anyway, the caves are a tourist destination, their owner chooses to open them to all people of all cultures. The rule of deep space applies.” 

Jared’s brow furrowed, he hadn’t heard of such a thing. 

Bear shook his head as he replied, clearly amused by Jared’s innocence, “ There are no laws, boy.” 

He digested the information. He was so screwed, but maybe there was another way, “But there are regulations aboard The Black Valentine, aren’t there?” 

“Of course. The captain is the law on board any ship.” 

Jared breathed out, “So if the captain finds out that any of the slaves don’t want to be here, maybe they are kidnapped or are hurting, he will sort it out.” 

“Indeed, his crew will ensure that there is no scandal. For a fee most inconveniences can be removed.” 

“Removed?” Jared squeaked the word nervously. 

Linda clarified it for him, “The universe is not perfect. Pretty things are frequently stolen. Some people treat their loot badly and that is not for the Captain to regulate. Your Master likes to keep his treasures beautiful. That is a good thing, is it not?” 

Jared looked back over at Jensen. Jensen smiled and waved at him, pointed at a tray piled high with food and headed in their direction. Jared didn’t know how he was going to eat any of it, he suddenly felt quite ill. 

Jensen set the food on the table and stood over Jared with one hand on his shoulder. “Has he been good?” he asked. 

“He’s a darling innocent,” Linda replied, “So worried about his fellow slaves, he fears that some may be stolen.” 

“Really?” Jensen said dryly. His hand clamped like a vice on Jared’s shoulder

 “I’m lucky, I have you.” Jared tried to sound sincere. 

“Hmm, you mean it’s lucky that you please me. Well, I bought a strange shaped sausage and dried root vegetables with pickles and bread. I got branded soda. Dig in.” Jensen’s gentle offer didn’t match the glare he gave him but now that the food was close it smelt delicious and Jared’s stomach rumbled. It had been a long time since lunch and they had walked for miles in the caves. Jensen sat next to him, close enough for their knees to touch. They ate. Bear talked.

 ***

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've missed a few weeks of posting. In apology I am posting a double length chapter.  
> Please note that warnings have been updated. Some warnings are hard to define in this au but heed 'cross-species rape' because in some respects it may resemble bestiality. I don't define it that way because all parties are sentient and it does not involve a human.

 

There were distractions on the shuttle back to the Black Valentine: on breaking atmosphere there was a spectacular rainbow aura, and they sat close to a Master with emerald eyes on bright red stalks. They had a chameleon exoskeleton which took on the color and design of whatever was in the background so Jared took little glances and changed the angle of his head to try to fool his brain into seeing them properly. He didn’t succeed, and a sharp slap and sharper rebuke about manners from Jensen was a further reminder that this was not his vacation, not really, and there were gaps on the shuttle where other slaves had not returned from Orrodin. He sat stiffly in his seat next to Jensen, who was barely containing his anger, wondering what nightmares awaited him back on board.

***

Jensen rounded on him in rage the moment that the cabin assistant left them. It took only one strong arm with his large hand gripping Jared’s collar to pull him up against the wall, with his toes barely scraping the floor. 

“I could have drowned you in that cave and nobody would have batted an eyelash, Jared. I didn’t have to provide sound moderators or radiation protection and I played nice for you but you, you…, I don’t even…” Jensen paused for breath a moment and Jared wheezed his own breath through the tight-pulled collar. “Do you have any idea? You made an agreement with me. How can I believe your word now? There is so much at stake here, Jared. I let you talk and you would have betrayed me. I let you travel and you embarrassed me. What I am doing, it’s not for fun, you have no idea. There are people...so many people…,”

 Jared started to struggle as his vision blurred and his hands were quickly pinned by just one of Jensen’s. Jared had never had the nature to fight and was ill prepared to defend himself. He didn’t want to die. He stilled and with every bit of air he had left, he tried to appease the furious man pinning him. “Sssry, won’t, never ‘gain. Please, don’ kill me.” Finally, the meal which had been so delicious on Orrodin  and had been rumbling fearfully around his stomach on the shuttle, decided to make a reappearance. He vomited, and with his neck squeezed and struggling to speak he couldn’t help inhaling it. Acid burned his nose and throat and he choked. 

“Fuck!” Jensen let go, and Jared dropped to the floor spluttering and gasping for air, but  none reached his lungs. Everything went dark. 

When he came back to his senses he was on the floor and Jensen was on his knees beside him, wiping his fingers on a tissue. A bot hummed as it polished the floor. His head ached, he could feel the throb of bruises circling his neck. Most of all his throat was acid raw. 

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! You stupid fuck! Do you always have to throw up?” 

He tried to reply but could only croak. He gave up. It hurt. 

“Ugh I never want to have to stick my fingers down your throat to clear your airway again, d’ya hear me?”   

Jared just looked at him. If Jensen hadn’t throttled him it wouldn’t have happened. 

Jensen stood up, looking down at him. “What am I going to do?” He was disheveled and distracted. 

Jared wondered about the man’s sanity once more. He didn’t answer. Jensen would do whatever he wanted to do with him and he would let him. It seemed pointless to protest. 

“Okay, okay,” Jensen seemed to be talking to himself and that couldn’t be good. He slid a large cage from storage and wheeled it over to Jared. The door opened with a rattle and he threw a blanket in and pointed after it. “Take those stinking clothes off and get in the cage, Jared. I have business to attend to. I can’t take you with me and I can’t trust you alone.” 

He sat up and tried to unclasp his boots but he was all fingers and thumbs. 

“C’mere.” Jensen unclasped them for him before helping him with his stinking, wet top and easing off his pants. “Leave the panties on, they’re fine.”   

Jared crawled into the cage and lay on the blanket. It was too small to stand or stretch out but he only wanted to curl in on himself anyway. 

“Here.” Jensen tucked another blanket over him, handed him a sip-bottle of soda and shut the door with a click of the lock that sounded so very final. He walked away, to their bathroom and Jared heard the sound of the shower running. 

He took a sip of his drink. Today’s tour should have been the most awesome trip of his life. Jensen had warned him not to alert anyone to their situation and he had messed up and asked obvious questions. He was an idiot.

 *** 

Jensen let cool water wash over him. He didn’t notice the soothing lights or light fragrance of the luxury that surrounded him. 

“Are you ready to listen to me yet? You lost control. What's going on, Jensen?” 

It was pointless lying to Chris, he was in his head, but he still argued, “You told me that I couldn’t let it stand. I had to punish him. He could have ended the mission.” 

“A discussion. An agreed discipline - ten strikes of the cane, an hour kneeling on rice, I dunno, orgasm denial, anything reasonable and controlled because you cannot build trust any other way. You could have killed him and he knows it and now you’ve drugged him rather than apologize.” 

“It was nothing. You and I have done less sparring. I sedated him to stop him panicking while I’m out.” 

The water shut off and he picked out a towel. He wanted to feel the harsh scrub of it on his skin rather than the warmth of the air dryer. 

“He didn’t betray you, and he isn’t us Jensen. He’s a small planet hick who is scared and overwhelmed.” 

“His questions were obvious.” 

“They were inevitable and they got a favorable reaction. You are officially on the Tran’s auction list, which is where you wanted to be.” 

“We didn’t know that they would take it that way.” 

“But they do and Jared did you a favor, so quit obsessing over it or I might be inclined to think that the problem stems from a very different betrayal.” 

“Shut up!” 

“You need him on side. If you promise that you will fix this before you go to bed tonight I will gladly go offline. I have systems to hack and resources to acquire, and you will be in a high security area. Ping me in an emergency.” 

“Okay, I promise. Enough?” 

“There’s a good boy,” cooed Kane and the connection went silent. 

*** 

He took the elevator to the lower decks where A.I.s patrolled each corridor and dark doorways were blocked  by an assortment of large and ugly bouncers. He walked the halls with a slow and deliberate pace, giving no outward indication that he was assessing layout and security. At each door he stopped to consider the entertainment being offered and then moved on, declining to enter a traditional casino, a slots room and an erotic dance room. When he was almost at the end of the hallway he made a choice and picked a room. The huge rhino-horned bouncer at the door patted him down for weapons and politely asked to check his credit. He offered his finger to a needle bot which drew a perfect single drop of blood from his finger  to analyse and bleeped acceptance with a vivid green light. The bouncer’s eyebrows raised, obviously impressed by the available cash indicated. Jensen would remember to thank Chris Kane for that, it was no mean feat aboard this vessel.

 The room he entered was dimly lit, with two raised stages and a clutter of bar tables and stools surrounding them. A gaggle of Masters gathered there, imbibing whatever made them feel good and chatting excitedly about the game offered up. Screens scrolled through the odds and gamblers placed their bets with service bots, sliding busily from table to table. 

Jensen searched out a space by the far stage, within hearing range of Pellegrino boasting to  the head of a nation of a small mud world and several significant bankers for the local systems. He ordered a blue wine with an obscene price tag and assessed the game that had just started on stage one.  He waited for an opportune moment, between wolf howls and the commentary of the host.

 “Sixty two standard minutes, four werewolves, 70K,” Jensen slammed his hand on the table for emphasis. It had the desired reaction, several Masters looked away from the stage, curious to see who was placing such a generous bet. 

“You’re very sure of yourself,” Pellegrino sidled up to him, keen to check the legitimacy of Jensen’s credit. The betting bot processed it on a green light without a delay. 

“What would be the fun in less?” Jensen replied, with a cocky swagger. 

“You know, I think you’re underestimating. Any of my slaves can take more than that.” 

Jensen already knew that the slave Pellegrino had boarded with had not returned from the Caves of Orrodin but it didn’t harm to bait him in such a crowd. “Oh? So where is your slave. Is it being offered to the game?” He looked around as if searching the room where Masters who cared about their slaves either came alone or kept them on a short tether with a hood and noise canceling earplugs. The  Masters who didn’t care reveled in their slaves’ terror. 

Pellegrino hand-waved the remark away, “I grew bored, there are plenty of pretty things in the general hold.” 

“So, in fact they didn’t take more than that,” Jensen remarked. 

Several of Pellegrino’s associates couldn’t help a slight smirk at the dig. Pellegrino preened himself and leaned in so his fetid breath was right in Jensen’s face, “A pretty boy like you has no idea what goes on in my dungeons.” 

“Maybe that was the point I was making.”  They both knew the implication could be taken as an insult or a compliment but, by the looks on everybody’s faces they all knew it to be an insult. 

Pellegrino scowled, then quickly broke it with a cheery fake smile. “May the best Master win.” He raised a glass and ordered a magnum of Platinum Margot, the costliest narcotic drink at the bar. He shook it with grand theatrics and let it explode into a fountain that rained into the glasses of everyone in his vicinity. It bought him a lot of attention, for a while.

 At fifty two minutes, werewolf three gave way to werewolf number four, fucking a brutal knot into the ass of a slave pinned into a breeding bench. The overhead screens showed a pool of orange blood starting to gather under the bench and a print out of a heart monitor. The output raced, then skipped, stopped and raced again. The game hand, a Master on the stage, laid into the slave’s battered skin with the hefty thwack of a whip and it caught the paw of the werewolf. They yowled and bit the slave in a vicious frenzy and the monitor output mirrored it. Pellegrino put down his drink. He looked worried. A few of his associates wrinkled their noses at the rank smell of sweat, blood and desperation and turned their gaze from the stage, as if the approaching culmination of the torture unsettled them, at least a little.

 Jensen kept his focus on the game and on the screen, willing the slave’s thumping heart to cease. Death was inevitable for this slave and there was nothing that Jensen could do to prevent it, he could only hope that the suffering was over quickly enough to bag him an impressive prize. 

Death was declared at sixty one standard minutes and forty five seconds, close enough to claim the pot; a rare event in any game room. As werewolves chowed down on a limp body, a cheer went up, strangers clapped him on the back and a crew member made their way through the crowd to confirm the win. A quick calculation in his head had Jensen guessing that he had won the equivalent of half the value of the cruise, in which case he had to be very careful not to arouse the ire of the Captain. He was grateful that his neural chip was off and he hadn’t in fact cheated in any way. Luck can be an unexpected bitch. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Pellegrino slink away. 

With his winnings banked and drinks consumed, the congratulations died down and attention turned back to the stage. Jensen noted the rear door that led from the back of the stage, where the game slaves were dragged in from a service corridor. He wished everyone luck, tipped the crew heavily and left the room. He walked steadily back past doorways and ducked into a traditional casino. He sat at a roulette table and lost 5K in four spins. 

Captain Malik Whitfield slid onto the stool next to him. “I heard you won big. That takes skill and experience. Congratulations.” 

“Why, thank you, though I suspect I might lose a chunk at this wheel.” 

“Well, that is the nature of gambling.”

“It wouldn’t be any sort of vacation if I didn’t lose a few mining planets with my shirt,” joked Jensen and raised his glass in a gesture of fun. 

“Where’s your pretty boy?” 

“He has a punishment to endure and I don’t consider it polite to take him into a live gaming room.” 

“Ah! And yet you still frequent them?” 

“What can I say? I have a skill. Sure, there was a measure of luck but the heart of a half-elfin can be simple to predict once you have tortured a few.” 

“It seems so. I hadn’t heard your name in these parts so I looked you up. What is it like to be the right hand man of a tyrant?” 

“Profitable,” offered Jensen with a grin, “A different sort of gamble.” 

The Captain chuckled, “And yet you parted amicably. I’m impressed at your achievements in the interim. The Sovereign Ruby heist closed down most of that quadrant, yet you managed travel, a wedding, and now a honeymoon getaway. Luck certainly favors you.” 

“The secret is to leave when you’re at the top of your game without being sidetracked by pretty gems,” confided Jensen. 

“Indeed. You know, there are rumors that the thief may be aboard the Black Valentine. Perhaps the ruby will be offered at the end of cruise auctions. Perhaps you will win enough to bid.” The Captain chuckled, fake and brief, “Ah, but tongues wag in boredom. Contrary to popular opinion, we do not harbor fugitives on board.” 

“Ah, Captain, but surely there can be no fugitives where there are no laws,” Jensen smiled at his own observation then continued, “My friend, I came here with the prettiest gem on the ship. I only have eyes for Jared. My business interests lie in things more dynamic. A rock has no purpose or power to it. I like danger in my toys.” 

“Hmm,” the Captain looked thoughtful, “As Captain of this cruise I shall endeavor to limit the tour’s excitement to it’s advertised attractions. Weapons have no place in this environment, and our security will detect them.” 

Jensen shook his head, silencing his inner dialogue, ‘ _unless the Tsar commands it’_ and patted the Captain’s shoulder, “Don’t worry, I have plans to relax and spend my credit on board. I am on vacation.” 

The Captain tipped his cap at him and his cheeks flushed a little at being called out on his obvious worry, “It would be my pleasure if you would join me at the Captain’s Table for dinner one night. I shall have the purser send an invitation for you and your delightful slave.”   

Jensen shook the Captain’s hand heartily, “We  would be honored. Thank you. Now, I think I deserve something expensive at the bar before I take my leave to check how Jared’s punishment progresses. Will you join me?” 

The Captain shook his head, “Alas, I must mingle. I look forward to your company again soon.” 

Jensen walked away with a sense of satisfaction. He’d scored a place at the Captain’s table and that would pique the Tsar’s interest. He hoped Jared would be ready for it. 

*** 

“C’mon, wake up!” Jensen climbed part way into Jared’s cage and shook him. He was slightly intoxicated and very happy. Things were swinging his way and it was rare for him to have anybody to share a good mood with. His life could be lonely and he wasn’t unhappy with it, not really, but he had come back to a suite with Jared in it and it felt good to have somebody other than Chris Kane. Jared was right there, real and and animated. Now, if only he could wake him.   

“Jared, Jared, Jared!” he singsonged, “I’m back.” 

Jared moaned and pulled his blanket over his head. “‘S’it morning? M’tired.” 

Jensen pulled it back again. “No but you can come out. Your punishment is over and I brought presents,” he announced. 

“Food?” Jared inquired sleepily, opening one eye. His stomach rumbled loudly. 

“We can do that,” laughed Jensen. He held up a shiny paper package and it crinkled in his hand. 

Both eyes were suddenly open and Jared scrabbled up until he was sitting with his legs crossed, still inside the cage. “Is that a burger?” he asked. 

Jensen sat next to him, he started to unwrap it. “According to my research, all the fashionable kids on Winchester hang out at Dory’s and eat burgers - so…,” 

A large hand reached to snatch it from Jensen, “I was never a fashionable kid.” 

“That’s good because it’s not from Dory’s,” teased Jensen as he handed it over, “It was actually a lot, lot more expensive than Dory’s.” 

Jared bit into it and chewed enthusiastically, “Tastes the same,” he commented with a full mouth. “Don’t you have one?” 

“I ate earlier.” He wished he hadn’t. It felt intimate sitting like this with him. 

Jared winced and coughed as he swallowed and his mood was ruined. There were dark bruises circling the kid’s graceful neck and he’d put them there. He reached his hand to check for swelling and Jared startled with fear. 

He paused, hand in midair, “I wanted to check. You have bruises.” 

Jared put his own fingers over them, rubbed gently, “It’s how I’m supposed to be isn’t it? It doesn’t hurt. Does it look good?” 

He was lying, Jensen was an expert at deciphering body language. He let it go, Jared was desperate to please him and he was content to let him. He smiled at him, “Yeah, everyone will think we had a wild night.” 

Jared finished the burger with a burp and screwed up the wrapping, “Thanks,” he said awkwardly, “I won’t throw it up. Sorry about earlier.” 

Jensen put his fingers on his shiny, greasy lips, “Ssh. It’s done. I bought you some soft shorts for sleep. Go and get a shower, put them on and come to bed.” 

*** 

Jensen sat reading a slim flexi screen on the other side of the bed. Jared was wide awake. He wasn’t sure how he had slept so soundly in a cramped cage and decided that it was something to do with space travel and trauma, or maybe the ship’s air supply. Jensen had reminded him that standard days were slightly longer than daylight hours on Winchester but that theory didn’t make sense, his family had always woken before dawn and worked well into the dark hours - it was the only way to make a small farm support a large family. 

He climbed onto the bed anyway. Jensen had given him an instruction. Outside their porthole was vast black space with Orrodin’s suns mere dots disappearing into the distance. He couldn’t even be sure which they were without consulting the ship’s computer and he didn’t want to disturb Jensen by asking. It no longer mattered who or what Jensen was, Jared had to remember that he was only to get through this cruise alive by humoring him. Most of the time the man was pleasant enough and he was getting the adventure he wished for when he went to the spaceport - his mother had always told him to be careful what he wished for. Sure, there would be repercussions when he got home and he would do everything in his power to minimize the fallout to his family and friends. That was later. He had to get through the _now_.

He didn’t ask if there was a tee shirt. He knew that if it wasn’t offered it was intentional. He pulled the covers up over his bare chest and let his fingers smooth the fabric of his shorts for comfort. The shorts were softer than anything Jared had ever worn and he wondered where Jensen got them and how much they cost. If his family had that sort of money he wouldn’t need to marry Tahmoh and his sisters would never go hungry. 

“Dude! Are you rubbing one off?” 

Jared came out of his daydreams to see Jensen had put down his flexi and was looking over at him, somewhat perplexed. He stilled his hand. 

No! Um, no.” 

Jensen lifted the covers and stared down at him. Jared fought his natural instinct to snatch them back and stared back defiantly. He really hadn’t thought much about his dick this entire trip. Even if he had a normal libido, he doubted he would get it up, but these weren’t ideal circumstances. Now though, he was practically naked and Jensen was staring him up and down, like he was cataloging every mole and zit. It was disturbing. 

“Oh, right,” said Jensen, letting the covers fall back. “Then what was that about?” He mimicked Jared’s hand moving up and down. 

Jared shrugged, he could act natural, “These shorts are really soft, I was stroking them.” Oh, god, he sounded so lame. “I’ve never had anything so comfortable. I don’t understand why you buy me all these expensive clothes? Where did they come from? How do they fit so well?” 

“You’re my husband. You look incredible in them and I can,” he made it sound so simple. “This is a pleasure cruiser. The ship took your measurements and it gives me recommendations. I order them, the boutique purchases licenses and prints them. Today, I remembered that you needed bed clothing so I swung by and picked them up.” 

“You know I’m not really your…,” 

Jensen shushed him. “Don’t talk like that any more, okay, honey?” 

“Can I keep them? I mean after?” 

A dramatic sigh was followed by, “I just told you not to talk like that, but yes, of course. What else would I do with them?” 

“You could sell them,” suggested Jared. 

“Why would anyone buy clothes that have been made specifically for somebody else?” 

“I would, they might not fit perfectly but they’re still amazing. Practically all my clothes are second hand and none are as fine as these,” he enthused, then stopped and blushed under Jensen’s steady gaze ”There’ aren’t many boutiques on Winchester.” Ugh.   

“You should keep them, Jared. Nobody is going to look half as gorgeous in them as you do,” there was fondness in the look that accompanied his words. 

He blushed again and ducked his head, “Thanks.” 

“Now, do you want a hand with that?” Jensen pointed at his crotch, “It might help you to relax.” 

And there it was, of course there was a price, thought Jared miserably. “You said we didn’t have to, in here.” 

Jensen wiggled his fingers at him, “I literally meant a hand, nothing else. I could make it good for you. You’ll have to get used to my touch soon enough.” 

“Nothing to help with.” Jared spat the words. 

“Okay, take it easy. I’m going to turn out the lights and I am going to put my hand against your skin while we sleep, nothing else because I keep my promises and I need you to know that.” 

Jared relaxed a little, “Just my arm or my chest.” 

Jensen rolled his eyes, “Honey, you were all over me like an octopus last night, but I promise to keep it decent. Happy?” 

“What if I can’t sleep?” 

“I already offered you a hand job. Count stars.” 

The light dimmed on Jensen’s command and Jared heard Jensen remove his top. A few seconds later he felt his hand resting lightly against his chest and the warmth of his body against his arm. He jumped at a closed-mouth kiss on his shoulder. 

“You smell good,” Jensen’s whisper tickled against his ear. “Now, go to sleep and we will go shopping in the morning.” 

It was hot pressed close together and Jensen’s breath ghosted over his skin. He waited for the worst to happen but it didn’t, then wriggled until he became comfortable  It wasn’t too bad. He thought Jensen smelled good too, maybe it was the complementary toiletries. He watched Orrodin’s last light snuff into the total blackness of deep space, and listened to Jensen’s calm breath. He closed his eyes and slept.


	11. Chapter 11

If Jensen was honest, he’d expected Jared to be a lot more excited about the exclusive dusk-ruby nipple and belly bars that Jensen had purchased for him. If there was something that Jensen had learned about him in the short time they’d been together, it was that Jared liked to wear pretty things. The jewelry was exquisite and Jared’s eyes had sparkled almost as much as the rubies when he saw them, right up until the moment he had been ordered to take off his sheer lacy top and sit on the practical salon chair. He obviously wanted to speak but chewed his lip instead and sat stoically, waiting for the beautician to attend to him. Jensen decided against letting him speak, he didn’t want a public argument. Jared had agreed to this procedure on their first day and Jensen wasn’t going to let him back out however hard he begged or cried. It was better not to give him the chance. They could talk about it later.

Jared went still as the beautician placed his arm on the wide arm of the chair, pulled a restraint over his wrist and tightened it. Jensen could read the expression in his eyes, and in his bitten, silent lips -a desperate plea - ‘ _please don’t do this_ ’.

“Just a precaution, Health and Safety rules, you understand,” they reassured him. They pulled up the restraint for Jared’s other wrist and Jensen grabbed it from their hand.

“I’ll do it.” His fingers lingered on Jared’s arm, a soft caress before tightening the strap. “It’s gonna be okay,” he told him, “It’s gonna be awesome.”

Jared tried to smile at him but it wasn’t convincing. Jensen stroked his hand over Jared’s and then laced their fingers together. “I’m staying right here,” he told him, with a determined glance at the beautician.

The beautician shrugged, “I'm used to it.” they said, “Don’t block the light and please move when I ask.”

“Of course,” Jensen agreed.

Removing Jared’s chest hair was simple. Jensen had opted for a simple, painless oil to be applied to the fine layer of his adolescent fuzz. The oil was cold and Jared proved to be ticklish on his ribs and underarms but it was quick and easy and Jensen had to admit that now, the shine of his smooth, fit torso was rather breathtaking.

A chip of antiseptic ice made Jared’s nipples perk and breath shorten, then two slim, manicured fingers squeezed a professional grip on the shriveled nub. A smooth push of the needle dented skin and kept going, sharp through living flesh, through delicate capillaries and nerve endings. Jared seemed to make his peace with what was happening and huffed out a breath with a half laugh - some bravado for Jensen - but his fingernails bit into the smooth surface of the chair and he flattened into it, a hopeless retreat. Jensen wiped his sweaty brow with a soft towel. “Try to relax. Doing so well, Jared. Squeeze my fingers if you need to.”

Rubies capped the bar and the beautician stepped back to assess their work. It was neat and even. They dabbed ice on it again and Jared winced in pain but Jensen only saw how the color of the dusk rubies enhanced Jared’s pretty, perked and dusky pink nipple and the way a bead of his blood welled from the piercing and quivered, ready to burst and trickle over creamy smooth skin. The beautician was poised with an antiseptic wipe but they didn’t get to use it. Jensen growled, low in his throat and his head bent over Jared’s chest. He didn’t see Jared’s reaction to the swipe of his tongue over the jeweled nipple but he felt the ripple of  shudder as he was lapping the blood from his skin. It was gone too soon and he licked his lips and savored the sweet-iron taste. He kissed Jared’s shock-gasped lips, slipped his tongue briefly inside his mouth to let him share the taste, then pulled away with a ruffle of his hand through his hair, and an instruction for the beautician to continue.

The belly bar was the worst. Jensen thought his fingers might break under the pressure of Jared’s grip and his boy squirmed and whimpered as Jensen swirled the tip of his tongue into his navel and nudged his new piercing to search out every trace of blood.

It was all finished with a fine spray of antiseptic. “These suit you,” the beautician said to Jared. Then to Jensen, “Your slave is very good, I’ve seen tears and protests, all sorts really.”

Jared looked giddy with relief, pale with red spots of excitement highlighting his cheeks, and he grinned at the praise. He seemed to shine with pride. He opened his mouth to speak and Jensen hushed him. “You know the rule in public. Yes, I’m impressed and you can boast about it later. You know you taste amazing too.” He ran his fingers lightly over the new piercings, then all over his chest and as far as his treasure trail, and Jared shivered. “They are magnificent and so is the jewelry,” he teased.

The beautician chatted as they cleaned the work station, taking their time to let Jared get his breath back, “Dusk rubies are popular this tour. I think its something to do with the Sovereign being stolen. Did you know that these rubies are only found on three planets and most are under twenty carats? The smoke-swirl pattern that you have chosen is only present in twenty percent of gems and the Black Valentine is one of only three outlets where you can purchase them.”

Of course it was, thought Jensen, because the Tsar kept an iron grip on the import and export of dusk rubies from an umbrella company, and coveted the few that didn’t pass through their hands. It was said that they had offered a small fortune for the Sovereign Ruby, been refused, begged, and then tried to steal it but never succeeded. The thief could be assured of a rich price from the Tsar, if they lived long enough to enjoy it.

Finally, Jared's restraints were loosened and he stood easily, still a little pale but not unsteady. He grabbed his top and frowned at it. It was tight fitting and lacy and it would hurt like a bitch when he put it back on. Jensen stayed his hand, “Leave it off, I like to look at you and it won’t affect your next appointment.”

Jared covered his mouth halfway through a squeaked “Another appointment. What for?” and looked worriedly at him. Jared was a natural chatterbox and while he could apparently take piercings and spankings in his stride, he found the effort of staying silent was almost too much to bear.

Jensen glared at him, “Honestly, I don’t want to gag you Jared but I will if I have to.” He put up one hand in a stop motion, “Before you end up saying it, I know you’re sorry and I know you’re trying, so I will pretend that I didn’t hear you. We can’t be late.”

Jared nodded obediently.

“Good, come here and stand facing me.”

He did.

Jensen took a blindfold from his pocket. “Do you remember what I said we were going to work on today? You can answer me when I ask you a question.”

The crinkle of his forehead betrayed anxiety but he answered clearly, “You told me that we were going to work on trust, Sir.”

“That’s right. I trusted you to take my piercings without a fuss and you knocked it out of the park. I am proud of you. Now, I need you to trust me again. I am going to cover your eyes and you are going to listen to my instructions. You will do what I tell you and only what I tell you. I am going to have complete control over your actions and if you trust me and obey me nothing bad will happen to you. Understand? Turn around while I put the blindfold on you.”

“I, er,” he was perspiring again, a sure sign of nerves.

“The only words I want to hear are, “Yes, Sir.”

“Yes, Sir.”

 

tbc


End file.
